1. That Christ loves some with a special, superabundant, and peculiar
1. That Christ loves some with a special, superabundant, and peculiar love; for Christ, when he suffered upon the cross, looked with a particular eye of his love upon all that should believe in him; as now in heaven he hath carried our names upon his breast. As the high priest had on his breastplate written the names of the twelve tribes in precious stones, Exodus 28:21, 30; so Christ, our high priest, hath the names of all his children in his heart, to present them always to God by his intercession, so as when he now appears before God, the church with him appears before God in his heart. The Father sees the church in the heart and breast of Christ. Now as this, I say, is true in heaven, so upon the cross the church was in the breast of Christ.
There was but a certain number for whom Christ savingly laid down his life, John 17:9. Paul was in the breast of Christ when he shed his blood: 'Who loved me, and gave himself for me.' So that then Christ loves some with a peculiar, special, and superabundant love. Here then the question is concerning, 1. General love. 2. General gift.
Quest. Whether Christ loved all, and gave himself for all, because here the apostle saith, 'He loved me, and gave himself for me'?
Ans. 1. I answer briefly, first, that Christ's loving and giving himself was parallel in even lines with God's love and gift, John 6:37, 39; for Christ gives himself for none but those which God hath first given him. Christ had his commission, and he came to do his Father's will, not his own, John 6:38, and will save all whom his Father hath given unto him; as it is John 17:6, 'Thine they were, thou gavest them me.'
Those that the Father gives in election, Christ redeems, and by redemption saves; for redemption, in regard of efficacy, is no larger than God's election. Therefore he joins, 'Christ loved me, and gave himself for me.' His love is only to those whom God gave him, for he
looks upon all he died for as they were in his Father's love. There are a company in the world whom God hates: 'Esau have I hated,' Rom.
9:13. Here love and gift go both together. He gives himself for no more than he loves, and he loves no more than God loves.
Ans. 2. Again, whomsoever Christ did love and give himself for to death, there be other fruits which accompany this. They who have interest in Christ's redemption, they have the spirit of application.
Where there is obtaining by Christ anything of God, there, I say, is grace to apply it by his Spirit; and many things go with it. For them that he died for, as the apostle shews, Rom. 8:11, 'for them he rose again, and for them he sits at the right hand of God.' These go together: 'For if he spared not his own Son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?' Rom.
8:32. Where God gives Christ, he gives the spirit of application with him, Mat. 17:13, 2 Thess. 3:2. But we see that the greatest part of the world have not faith; for it is the faith of the elect, which worldlings not having, nor the grace of application, therefore they have not the favour of God obtained by Christ. So it is written, Rom. 5:10, 'For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his
Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.'
These go together. Now the greatest part are not saved by his life, therefore they are not reconciled by his death.
Other places do clear this truth, as Heb. 9:14, where is shewed, that where Christ hath offered up himself for any, there is also a purging of the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. But the most are not purged, therefore they have no interest in Christ's death.
A strong reason is further shewed hereof by Christ, John 17:9, where he avouches plainly, and makes a main difference between two sorts
of people, saying, 'I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine.'
Obj. But here some may object, Christ's death is of larger extent than his intercession.
Ans. To cut off this objection, Christ says after in the same chapter, ver. 17, 'And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth.' That is, I prepare and sanctify myself to be a sacrifice as a priest; I prepare myself to be a holy sacrifice for such; therefore Christ sanctified himself for them, not for the world.
Under the law there was a brasen altar for sacrifice, and the golden altar for incense, which golden altar for incense was effectual for no more than the brazen altar was for sacrifice. And Christ offered himself a sacrifice for all those that he makes intercession for. The point is clear. I will not answer all the objections might be brought, only encounter with some of the main ones, which are brought by the papists against this truth. Saint Paul's meaning, therefore, is not that he loved me with that love wherewith he loved all mankind. The apostle means a more special love, 'He loved me so as he gave himself for me;' that is, with a more special love than he bears to all mankind. This is a point that tends to God's honour and man's comfort; for God hath the more praise and thanks from his elect, and those that are redeemed by the peculiarness of it, which the more it is, the more they acknowledge themselves bound unto God and Christ. These are they that are elected, these are they for whom the Scriptures are, for whom the world stands and Christ came, Ps. 116:1.
They love God and single him out, and the more they do so, God doth single them out to delight in. Peculiarity enhanceth and raiseth favours to higher degrees than otherwise. The fewer that are taken out of the world from the refuse of mankind, the more their hearts are inflamed to love God again. God, as the psalmist says, hath not
dealt so with every nation, Ps. 147:20. When will a man be most thankful to God and give him glory, but when he can say, Thou hast not dealt so with the rest of the world; what is in me more than in the rest of mankind? I differ nothing from them but in thy peculiar love.
Hereupon comes the heart to be knit in love unto Christ again. But against this it will be objected, Obj. Why doth Christ by the ministry persuade all in the church for to believe in Christ, and for to believe forgiveness of sins, if Christ did not die for them all?
Ans. I answer, that in the church he calls all, that he may cull out his own. The minister speaks promiscuously both to the elect and those that are not, because God will not rob his own children of the benefit, though they are mingled with others to whom the blessed things do not belong; as it is with the rain, it rains as well upon the rocks of the sea, and upon the barren heath as upon the good ground. Why, for any good to the rocks? No, but because, together with it, it rains upon the fruitful ground, which hath the benefit of the rain. So God rains the showers of his ordinances upon all, but the benefit thereof is only to his ground, not to the reprobates. The sun shines upon all, but who hath the comfort of that shining? Those who have eyes to see it only and use it, not the blind. But to them that believe not, they have another use. They have this benefit by Christ's death, that there is mercy offered them, and some gifts of the Spirit. God offers and stirs up good motions in them, but they rebel against them. There be many degrees and means of faith. They use not all the means they ought, neither take all the degrees, therefore they are without all excuse, because he gives more grace, not only the means, but he is ready to give more grace than they are willing to entertain. So it is their rebellion, which is the cause of their damnation. They are said to resist the Holy Ghost, such reprobates in the church, to quench
the Spirit, Acts 7:51, which implies the Holy Ghost is ready to work more in them than they are willing to entertain. Is it not so by experience? There is a company of profane persons, that, out of the abundance of their wicked hearts, and the poison of their breeding, will not vouchsafe to hear at all; others that do come, though for some bye and carnal ends. Happily the Holy Ghost, in hearing, beats upon their consciences and awakes them. But what say their rebellious hearts? Shall I stoop to leave such and such courses that are pleasurable and gainful? Hereupon they resist the work of the Holy Ghost in the ministry, when their hearts tell them there is a readiness in the Holy Ghost, and that he is sent from Christ and the Father to work more effectually in them than they are willing to be wrought upon, and therefore it is they are damned. 'Thy perdition,' saith the prophet, 'is of thyself, O Israel!' Hosea 13:9. Their own consciences will tell them thus much. So it is no matter what cavils they raise of Christ's intention and God's election. Look thou, man, to thine own heart. Doth not thy own heart tell thee thou art a rebel, and livest in profane wicked courses, in neglect of holy duties? Thou carriest thine own sentence and cause of damnation in thy breast. I appeal to the worst, who live in sins against conscience. Here is the ground of thy damnation. There be many ascents and degrees to saving faith. Thou withstandest the beginnings and the motions of the Spirit. If they come in and work upon thy heart any estrangement from sin, thy proud heart begins to rebel, and will not yield. It is the only true obedience which lays itself at the foot of Christ, and is willing to be led and persuaded in anything so far as frailty will permit, and allows itself in no evil course. This is that which brings sound comfort, which they not doing, therefore are without all excuse.
Obj. If this were not so, they might object another day, Christ did not die for me, therefore why should I be damned for not believing?
Ans. Their consciences therefore will tell them, that they used not all means to believe, neither took the degrees of faith; for God's Spirit doth work after a kind in wicked men, as in the three bad grounds, the word was effectual in divers degrees; but when it comes to the upshot, they hated not their sins, were worldly minded; or, the plough had not made furrows deep enough to humble them, to value mercy and Christ above all things, and to hate sin above all. This is enough to justify their condemnation. Howsoever Christ is offered, and there is a command to believe, yet their hearts tell them they do not all they might. They must know that God's secret purpose in electing some, and redeeming some, and leaving others, it is hid from the world, as his secret will, that is not the rule of our obedience, but God's revealed will and commandment. Therefore men must look unto what God commands. If their conscience tell them that they yield not that obedience which they ought and might, but rather resist the motions of God's Spirit, hereupon comes their damnation to be just. They are commanded to believe. What! Not to believe remission of their sins; for know,
1. There is the act of faith; and 2. The fruit of faith.
Now a wicked man is not first commanded to believe the forgiveness of his sin, but in this order, in obedience to subordinate duty before.
He is commanded to believe that he shall have benefit by Christ, by yielding obedience of faith to Christ. The act is one thing, and the fruit is another. Every one is bound to believe and cast himself upon Christ for salvation, but not bound to believe the fruit, unless they have the act.
Obj. But it will be objected, we are not bound to have the first act of faith to believe; if we should, it were in vain, we should believe a lie.
Ans. I say no. The gospel runs, whosoever believes in Christ shall have the fruits of the death of Christ, shall have everlasting life. Thus whosoever believes and casts himself upon Christ, doth the act, shall have the fruit. Away with idle questions; What? Doth the fruit of Christ's death belong to me? Did he die for me? Go thou to the act; if thou hast grace to cast thyself upon Christ, and to assent when he offers and invites thee, it is well. Yield the act of faith, and leave questioning of that, which is then put out of question. Reason not this, whether God hath elected, or Christ hath died for thee. This is the secret will of God. But the commandment is, to believe in Christ.
This binds. Therefore, yield to Christ when thou art called and bidden to cast thyself upon him; then thou shalt find, to thy soul's comfort, the fruit of his death.
Caution. Let no man excuse himself by quarrelling against Christ, for not giving himself for all. There is no man condemned, but for not yielding obedience in the act of faith, and doing all that his heart tells him he might, but is unwilling to do. It is for rebellion he perishes: as when a malefactor is condemned, who hath a book given him to read, which he refuses to do. His not reading is the cause of his execution and death, as well as his ill deeds which he hath done: his refusing pardon, that he will not read, with the other. Both are causes of his death, because he doth not read, and because he is a malefactor (a).
So in this case, when a man will not yield the act of faith, though his other sins will damn him, yet, if he would believe and take the mercy offered, his other sins would not damn him. If men would or could believe, no other sins would hurt them; but because they do not, their other sins shall be laid to their charge, and their rebellion, that they will not believe, and take the benefit of God's offer. They refuse mercy, because mercy cannot be had without conditions of obedience; as Christ reproves the Jews, John 3:19, 'And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved