Part III (continued, part 5)
greater will be his honour in the compassing of it. How many great affairs have been spoiled, because some men have not been the chief and first in
them, that affect the pre-eminence ? Now this honour God the Father may
challenge, that he was the first in reconciling and saving sinners. It is
therefore called God s wisdom, Eph. iii. 10, and his purpose, Eph. i. 9, God s righteousness, Rom. i. 17, and the pleasure of the Lord, Isa. liii. 10.
Secondly, this project and motion did rise up in him unto a strong re
solution and purpose, and to an unalterable decree to save sinners by Christ ; so Eph. i. 9.
212 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH.
1 And [1.] for his purposes, they are immutable. Would not Paul lightly alter purposes taken up by him, When I therefore was thus minded (says he, 2 Cor. i. 17), did I use lightness ? or the things that I purpose do I
purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and
nay, nay ? Would not Paul, I say, alter his purpose because he preached the gospel, and will God (think you) alter them, who gave the gospel ? No ; it is the
* eternal gospel, Rev. xiv. 6, and God is of the same mind
still, so it follows in that place to the Corinthians, But as God is true
(or varies not), so was our word to you, which yet is his more than Paul s, &c.
[2.J For God s decrees, whereof this was one, they are also immutable. The great monarchs of the earth, the Persians, took to themselves that in
fallibility, that they would not alter the decrees which they made : therefore when a thing was unalterable, it was said to be as the laws of the Medes and Persians; which was to shew their greatness and their wisdom, that
they could so resolve as no person or power whatever should be strong enough to cause them to change their resolutions ; and yet they were forced, though not to alter a former decree, yet to give countermands unto it, as Ahasuerus did ; and men do alter, because they cannot foresee all events, and so cannot make unalterable decrees without prejudice. Therefore the
pope, who takes on him the style of infallible, and so assumes to himself the highest prerogative that ever man did, yet of him it is said, Papa nunquam ligat sibi manus, that he never binds his own hands by any decree he
makes, because he cannot foresee all inconveniences, notwithstanding what ever he assumes. But with God it is not thus, He is not a man that he should have cause to repent, for he knows and foresees all that can or
will follow.
Now this immutability of his counsel he shews by two oaths ; the first made to Christ, the second to us.
[1.] To Christ, Heb. vii. 21, This priest (Christ) was made with an
oath, by him that said unto him, The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, &c. And. this was from everlasting; for then
it was that Christ was first made priest. Now then God foresaw that he could never have a relenting thought at the pardoning of sinners through him, this his Son would so satisfy and please him ; and thereupon he sware.
* God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath : that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to
[2.] To us, Heb. vi. 17, 18,
lie, we might have a strong consolation, &c. The thing I allege this place
for, and which I would have observed, is, that this oath is not mentioned
as that now which makes God so immutable, though that be a truth ; but God s oath is here made that whereby God did declare unto us the immu
tability of his purpose, formerly and from everlasting taken up, and so that
immutability of his counsel was the cause of his oath, and that was to
pardon sinners ; for it is the promise made to Abraham and his seed that
is there specified.
Yea [3.] God set his seal unto all further to confirm it. He both sealed
Christ to the work, John vi. 27, and likewise sealed up in his decrees the
* The founda
persons of those sinners that shall be saved. 2 Tim. ii. 19,
tion of the Lord remains sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth who are
his. And if it were but a king s seal, it could not be reversed ; but this is God s. Yea, he hath sealed up their sins also by and through Christ, Dan.
ix. 24, never to be remembered or looked upon more.
ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 213
Thirdly, God rested not in a decree only, but entered into covenant with
Christ to save sinners by him if he would die. This covenant you have
dialogue-wise set out, Isa. xlix. First, Christ begins at the first and second
verses, and shews his commission, telling God how he had called him, and
fitted him for the work of redemption, and he would know what reward he
should receive of him for so great an undertaking. God answers him,
ver. 3, and at first offers low, only the elect of Israel. Christ who stood now a-making his bargain with him, thought these too few, and not worth
so great a labour and work, because few of the Jews would come in, but would refuse him, therefore, ver. 4, he says, he should labour in vain, if
this were all his recompence ; and yet withal he tells God, that seeing his
heart was so much in saving sinners to satisfy him, he would do it however
* work was with the
for those few, comforting himself with this, that his
Lord. Upon this God comes off more freely, and openeth his heart more
largely to him, as meaning more amply to content him for his pains in
* that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob ; that is not worth the dying for, I
* It is a light thing, says God to him,
dying.
value thy sufferings more than so, I will give thee for a salvation unto the
ends of the earth. Upon this he made a promise to Christ, Titus i. 2, and
a promise is more than a purpose. A purpose may be in one s self, as
Eph. i. 9, but a promise is made to another. Now God cannot lie in him
self, but most of all, not to his Son.
A second sort of demonstrations. The engagements of God s heart to sinners, from and upon Christ s having died at his request.
A second sort of demonstrations are drawn from Christ s having already come and performed all this : for,
1. Christ is now to be satisfied for that his dying, as well as he by his
death had satisfied God ; he is now to have his reward. God never set any on work but he gave them wages. Thus unto Nebuchadnezzar he gave Egypt as his hire for his service at Tyre, and to Cyrus he gave hidden
treasure. Now it is not Christ s own glory that will satisfy him ; for that he could have had, and never have died ; there remains therefore nothing that can or will satisfy him but to have the end of his death,
* to see his
seed and be satisfied, and to see of the travail of his soul ; and to justify many, as it is, Isa. liii. 11. He died, as himself speaks, John xii. 24, that he might not be alone in heaven ; his desire is, that those whom he
died for might see his glory.
2. If we consider the act itself, of delivering Christ unto death, there was not, nor could there ever be, anything more abhorrent unto God ; no
act ever went so much against his heart ; for if he be afflicted in all our
afflictions, and doth not willingly punish the sons of men, neither wills
the death of a sinner that deserves it, much less would he will the death
of his own Son. Now what was there to sweeten the death and sufferings of his Son unto him, except his end in it ? for it is the end that sweetens and facilitates the means tending unto it. Now the end of Christ s death
could be no other but to take sins away, and to procure the pardon of
sinners ; and so it must needs be infinitely delightful unto him, and his
heart strongly set upon it, seeing it did sweeten unto him an act otherwise so abhorrent ; and of this end therefore it is impossible he should ever
repent. Now, Eph. v. 2, the very offering of Christ is called a sacrifice
214 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH.
of a sweet smelling savour ; and what was it that made it so, but even the end for which it was done, and which is there put upon it, that it was out of love unto us, and out of a mind to have sinners pardoned ? For else in
itself it must needs have been abominable unto him.
Again, 3. If at any time he would have repented him of his purpose, it would have been at the time of Christ s being crucified, when he came to
bruise him : then his heart would have recoiled, and especially when
Christ poured out his soul with such strong cries and tears as he did. At
other times, in punishing but his children, we find, that when he comes to do it, his heart as it were fails him, as Hos. xi. 8. How shall I give thee
up ? The rod falls out of his hand, and his bowels yearn within him ; yet he relented not when he saw the soul of his Joseph in bitterness, but still made an impossibility of it for him to avoid suffering, because his purpose was thereby to take sins away. Therefore Christ s request was, Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass. The necessity lay only in God s will
in reference to this end, to forgive sins. If God would ever have relented or repented him of this purpose, it would have been then. We read of his
repenting him of other of his works, but his mind is so fully carried to take away sins, that he did not then, or can ever repent of putting his own Son to death for the effecting of it. To pardon sinners is more natural to him than to kill his Son was unnatural. Now his end and purpose being thus fully set to pardon and save sinners, if he should be frustrated
of this his end, he would then indeed repent him of using his Son as he had done. Nay, it is not only said that he repented not, but that it
pleased him to bruise Christ, in respect to that his end, which was so plea sant to him : so you have it, Isa. liii. 10. And, therefore, surely it pleaseth him much more to pardon sinners, now he hath thus bruised him ; and so indeed it follows there, The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. It is spoken of his saving and justifying of sinners. It troubled God to hear a soul bemoan itself for its sin, Jer. xxxi. 20, but we read not
that it did so when Christ bemoaned himself in his sufferings ; and the reason was, because the work that Christ was about to do was a sweet sacri
fice to him ; and it would trouble God more to condemn a sinner that
Christ died for, than it did to sacrifice Christ for him.
4. Upon that ancient agreement between God and Christ, God par doned millions of men under the Old Testament upon the bare word of
Christ, before he came into the world, or had paid one penny of the debt ; he must needs therefore be supposed to be much more willing now to do
it, when Christ has done all that was required, and failed not, and that at
the due time, as it is said, Eom. v. If Christ had failed to come short but
of a little of what he was to do, God might have denied to let the world go upon trust any longer ; but now Jesus Christ hath performed all, and is
aforehand with him, and hath put in stock enough to pardon sinners to the end of the world.
Yet, 5. Now even justice itself will call upon him to discharge sinners,
will not let him rest in quiet till he has pardoned and shewed mercy unto
poor sinners that come to Christ, and hath given in their bond, and this,
though we had no promise to shew for it, yea, though Christ himself had
nothing to shew for it : God s very justice would trouble him (I may so
* troubled for
speak with reverence, for he himself says, that he was
Ephraim, Jer. xxxi. 20), till he had given out an acquittance, because he knows the debt is paid, and also, that Christ s and his own intent was, that when Christ had once died, sinners should thereby be justified. Even as if
ENCOUKAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 215
an honest man had a bond for a debt that is discharged lying still in his
hands, of which payment he whose debt it is knows nothing, although he
or they that paid this debt were dead, so that there were no one left that were able to challenge an acquittance from him, and a cancelling of that
bond, yet mere honesty would cause him to give it in. Now Jesus Christ
died, and God himself put him to death, merely to pay our debts ; and, says Christ at his death, Let sinners require my blood, and the merits of it at
thy hands, and have it out in pardon. That was Christ s will that he made at his death, as you have it, Heb. ix.
16, 17, where the apostle calls it a testament confirmed by the death of
the testator. Now there is nothing so sacred as the performance of the
will of the dead. And now Christ himself is alive again, and is ordained
by God to be his own executor, and so lives to claim an acquittance ; there
fore certainly God will never withhold it. In justice he cannot, he will not, have a bond lie by him that is discharged. Hence it is said, that God is
just to forgive our sins, 1 John i. 9. There are three things which do cry for justice, and all do meet in this.
(1.) The wages of a hireling (if detained) are said to cry. So in James
v. 4, it is said, The wages of hirelings detained do cry in the ears of the Lord of Hosts. They cry, wages being due in justice, and because God s
justice is thereby provoked, and cannot be quiet till God hath avenged it. And so would Christ s satisfaction having been made for us ; it would
restlessly cry to God, and not suffer his justice to be quiet, unless we were
pardoned. For he was truly and indeed God s hired servant in this work ; and God covenanted to give him the salvation of those he died for as his
wages and reward, as Isaiah often represents it, chap, liii., and elsewhere. So that if God be just, he must give forth salvation, otherwise Christ s obe dience would cry as the work of an hireling doth for wages.
(2.) A second thing that cries for justice, is the will of one that is dead
unperformed, who hath bequeathed legacies, and left wherewith to pay and
discharge them. And this is yet a louder cry than the former. Now
Christ, before he died, did thus make his will, and bequeathed pardon of
sin and justification, and that eternal inheritance in heaven, as legacies to
those for whom he died, and to be given out by God after his death, as I observed even now out of Heb. ix. 15, 16, 17, where it is said that Christ was The Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death they who are called might receive the promise (or bequeathed legacy) of eternal
life. And thereupon, ver. 16, 17, the apostle calls this a testament con firmed by his death, and which at his death began to be in force, so
ver. 17. And of all things injustice that are held due, the performance of
the will of the dead hath ever been held most sacred.
(3.) There is yet a third thing which cries for justice, and that is inno
cent blood spilt. And this cries louder than the rest. So Gen. iv. 10. And the apostle, Heb. xii. 24, sets forth the cry of Christ s blood for us, by Abel s blood crying against Cain.
It may be notwithstanding th.is, that God may put the bond in suit against a sinner, to make him come to acknowledge the debt, as the apostle there
* I have sinned and it profited me not ; God then cannot withhold from throwing down his bond cancelled, saying, Deliver him, I have found a ransom, Job xxxiii. 24, God will not have innocent blood, such as his Son s is, to lie upon him. If he should not pardon sinners, Christ s blood would be upon him, for it was
speaks, If we confess our sins. But if any soul doth say,
for them only that Christ died, being in himself innocent.
216 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH.
6. God mends not himself by damning those for whom Christ died. Now
there were not only an injustice to Christ and us in it, but God himself also would prove a loser. For the end of Christ s death was not simply to
satisfy justice, so as without it justice could not have permitted a pardon, that might have been dispensed with, but it was chiefly to declare the glory
of God s justice, which required such a satisfaction, as the apostle says, Rom. iii. 25,
* To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that
are past, through God s forbearance. It was, we see, the manifestation or
declaration of the glory of his justice that he aimed at in it. So as if any one man s sin satisfied for by Christ should be left unforgiven, God s justice should lose so much glory. And if justice should think to get a greater
glory out of the sinners, that could never be ; for the sinner is unable ever
to satisfy, and so to glorify God s justice by suffering, as Christ hath done.
Yea, and besides, God would be a further and a greater loser in the glory of his mercy also, which by his pardoning sin is advanced.
The second part of the observation. Demonstration of Christ s willingness to
receive sinners that come to him. First, how his heart stood from everlasting. And so now I come to Christ s willingness, which was the second thing propounded in the doctrine to be demonstrated. Now, though his will was not first in it (as was said), yet we shall find him to have been no less
willing than his Father. As Christ in subsisting is the second person, and hath his personal subsistence from his Father, so he is second also in order
of working, and consequently of willing too, yet he is not second to him in
heartiness of willing ; but as his Father and he are equal, so in all that his Father willeth, his will is equal with his Father, and so, is as much in this
business as his.
In the demonstrating of this, I will take the same course that I did in
the former :
First, I will shew how hearty he was in this, to have sinners saved, before he came into the world.
And secondly, how willing he was since he came into the world, and
since his death and going out of the world.
And as a general introduction to either, I shall premise this, which shall
be as the corner-stone in this building, joining both parts of this discourse
together, and is a consequent of what hath formerly been delivered.
The thing to be premised is this : That if God the Father be willing, then
Jesus Christ must needs be willing also, and look how much the will of the
* the Father and he are all one. And this will serve for our further assurance of the
one is in it, so much the will of the other must be in it also, for
wills of either ; and we make use of it both ways, either to argue to our
iaith, that if the Father be willing, Christ must needs be so also ; and that
if Christ be willing, the Father is so also. That whereas some men s
thoughts have been more taken up about, and so more taken with, the con
sideration of how much the Father s heart was in it, and how active and
plotting he was about it ; and again, other men s apprehensions have been
carried more unto Christ s heart in the work ; this demonstration which I
have in hand shall be a help to the faith of either of these : so that if your hearts have a door of faith, (as the apostle speaks) set open, or a window
to see either into God s heart or Christ s, you may raise a confidence of
the one from the other, and so come to be sure of both.
And this also I do first mention, because it is the most intrinsical bottom
ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 217
demonstration that can be made of Christ s willingness, and is the utmost reason of it.
* I and my Father are one. That whereas in this my text he shews how his Father s will and his agree in
This demonstration I found upon John x. 30,
one, he there gives the reason of it, for (says he) we are one ; and the words
there, as they stand in their coherence, are proper to the purpose in hand. For Christ there allegeth them as the reason why his heart, and power, and
all in him is so engaged for the salvation of his own, that if he have any power in him, and be able to do anything, not one of them shall perish, because his Father and he are one. For, mark the occasion upon which he speaks this, it is the same that here in my text. He had been speaking of saving his sheep, and of his power and will to save them ; and concludes, that
* they shall never perish. And he says not only that he will never
* neither shall any man pluck them out of
cast them out (as here), but that
his hand. And in that speech he shews and utters the strength of his
will as much as of his power. For otherwise, although his hand of power had been never so potent to have held them against all opposition, yet if
his will had not as strongly resolved to hold them in his hand, and so, if
they were not as deep in his heart as,they are fast in his hands, this speech of his had not been made good, that they shall never perish. And then he gives the reason both of this resoluteness of his will and this prevalency of his power from his Father s both will and power, engaged as much as
* My Father, says he,
* that gave them me is
his own, in this fulness.*
greater than all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father s hands. He pleads here, first, his Father s will
* He gave them me ; and then,
secondly, his power, whom these Jews he spake to acknowledged greater than all, though him they did not.
* He is greater than all ; none can
pluck them out of his hands ; and then argues to himself, My Father and
I are one. One in nature, therefore much more in will. Two persons that have distinct essence may yet be one in will, as the ten kings are said to be
of one mind when they agreed in one thing, Rev. xvii. 13, 17 ; so Acts
iv. 32, it is said that they that believed were of one heart and of one soul, that is, in judgment and consent of mind. But Christ and God the Father
are one yet nearer, one in nature, and therefore much more entire in will, for by nature they have but one will between them. And that place speaks at once in relation to both their willingness to save, as to both their powers to save sinners. And this is not only an argument that they did both agree, and were like to agree, in it, but that they can never disagree. Two that
essentially have two wills, though for the present agreeing in one, yet it may be supposed that they may come to disagree, and not will the same
thing ; but if they essentially have but one will, it. is impossible then but
that they must ever agree. This great security, therefore, doth Christ give for the salvation of sinners. You have not only two persons engaged, persons greater than all, but all that is in them engaged, both their power and will ; and what more can be desired ? And if the one holds his purpose, the other must also, for they are one. You have the oneness of God and Christ given you for security ; so that if they can never be made two, and
wrought asunder, then sinners must needs be saved. Till these two persons do disagree, you are sure enough ; and they must cease to be ere they can cease to agree, for they are one, and one in being. We have another testimony as full as this, 1 John v. 7 : There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
* Qu. business ? ED.
218 ENCOUKAGEMENTS TO FAITH.
Ghost (we are yet surer, here is a third person that comes in), and these
three are one. Now, what is the thing that these do witness unto ? Ver. 11 it follows, This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son. Here their truth is pawned, as in that other
place their power was, for the apostle allegeth this as such a truth as they all
agree and stand in to make good. And to prove this, he says (as in that other place, John x.) that these three are one, that is, one in nature, therefore one in will, and so also one in witness to this truth. He says not only they agree in one, for you shall observe that whereas there are
three other witnesses mentioned to be on earth, there is this difference put between their concurrency in their testimonies and that of these, that they
agree in one (so ver. 8), but there is more said of these, namely, that they are one, that is, in nature, and so in will and purpose, and so must needs much more agree in one. Now, that thing which their wills and testimonies and all agree in is, as hath been said, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son, to all that shall come for it. So that for demonstrations of this I need go no further. If there be any will, power, or truth in these persons, sinners shall be saved.
This being premised, as the most bottom ground of Christ s being at first, and his continuing to be for ever, willing to pardon sinners, let us more
particularly see, first, how his heart stood to the salvation of them before he came into the world ; and then, secondly, how it stood inclined unto it
after he was come ; and what confirmations our faith may have from both. So that the thing I am herein to speak to is not so much his willingness to
the work of redemption itself (that I have elsewhere handled apart), but his
willingness and readiness to save sinners.
1. Let us see how his heart stood to this before the world was, and before he came into it. And for this we find that his delights were set upon it ; so Prov. viii. 31,
< Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth, and my
delights were with the sons of men : which words are more properly spoken of Christ than of God the Father, and therefore I produce them under this head. For they are said to be spoken by Wisdom, that is, Christ himself, he therein shewing how his mind stood towards us before the world began ; for he speaks what he and his Father did
* before the mountains were, &c.
4 1 was set up from everlasting, ver. 22. Then I was by him, &c., ver. 80. And how did they pass away that long avwn, as the apostle calls
it ? In nothing but rejoicing and delights. He there speaks of nothing else that they did. And what was the matter of delight unto them ?
(1.) He and his Father delighted one in another, ver. 30.
(2.) In the salvation of men, My delights were with the sons of men, so
ver. 31. And he speaks of men as fallen, for it is said in the beginning of
the same verse that he rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth, which
is spoken not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles too, and of men all the
earth over. Now, first, delights arise out of the strongest and choicest
desires. Men are pleased with many things in which they delight not.
Christ s heart and desires must needs have been most on that which his
delights are in. Again, secondly, the greater the persons are, and the
greater their minds are, the greater are their delights. Things of great concernment are usually the objects which are the delights of kings, and which they take pleasure in. Now, the great God and Jesus Christ singled out the pardon and reconciliation of sinners for their chief delights.
(3.) Their delight herein is mentioned, and in no other work of theirs ; not the angels, nor the world, nor anything in it.
ENCOUEAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 219
(4.) This their delight is mentioned next to their delighting in each other.
(5.) And fifthly, this delight he took aforehand, whilst his heart was only in the expectation of it, and his mind but laying the plot of it. He delights in it ere he doth it. And if all this joy of his be only in the thoughts of it, how much more will it delight him when he comes to do it ? All this
argues how great a matter this was in his esteem, and how much his heart was in it, and that from everlasting.
Demonstrations from the disposition of Christ s heart, and his carriage upon earth. As also some engagements since his death.
2. In the second place, when Christ had assumed our nature, and whilst he remained upon earth, how did this disposition of his abound in him ? It were endless to give all the instances that his story and sermons do afford
hereof. See but how welcome all sorts of sinners were at all times unto him. He cast out none that acknowledged him for the Messiah ; he turned none away that gave up their souls unto him to be saved his own way. He was indeed most reserved unto that rich young man of any other, yet he used him courteously the text saith, he loved him. Christ turned him not away, but directed him the right way to follow him ; and he went away of himself, undervaluing Christ to his possessions. And another time
Christ indeed seems to discourage the Canaanitish woman, and put her
away, calling her dog. But it was only in words ; for underhand he strongly draws her heart to him by his Spirit, and suggests thereby to her heart by way of answer, a consideration of the highest faith towards him, that dogs might partake of the crumbs that fall from their master s table. I instance
in these, because I would prevent and remove any exception which might be taken from them. For otherwise Christ s professed entertainment of all
sinners was so open and notorious, as it was turned into his disgrace and
* a friend to publicans and sinners ; which yet he owns and glories in, professing that he
opprobry, that he was
* came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance. And how glad he was when any such came in unto
him, he sufficiently expresseth by those parables on purpose taken up, of
the joy of the prodigal s father for his return, and of the rejoicing for the
finding of the lost groat, and likewise of the lost sheep, more than of the
ninety and nine.
We read of Christ s joy but seldom, and when it is at any time recorded,
it is at the conversion of souls. He had little else to comfort himself in,
being a man of sorrows ; and he had nothing else on earth which he took
delight or pleasure in. When he was converting the poor woman of Samaria, which he doth as a pleasure and recreation to him, he forgets his meat,
although before he had been very hungry, and tells his disciples that he had
meat which they knew not of, which was indeed the saving that poor woman s soul. In Luke x. 21, we read that Jesus rejoiced in his spirit; but observe the occasion. He had sent out his disciples to preach the
gospel, and they had in his name and through his power cast out devils. He bids them not rejoice in that, ver. 20, but shews them what they should
rejoice in, by his own example, and by what most comforted him. Father
(says he) I thank thee that thou hast revealed these things unto babes. This in the next words following recorded to be the matter of his rejoicing, he saw now an handsel, and an experiment of the fruit of his disciples
220 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH.
ministry, and comforted himself beforehand, in that as their souls had, so others of the poorer and meaner sort should thus come in unto him.
We find him at another time in like manner rejoicing, namely, in the
story of his raising Lazarus, John xi. 15. And what was it for? Not
that himself should be glorified by so great a miracle, even the greatest that ever he wrought, but, says he, I am glad for your sakes that I was not
there, to the end that you might believe. He rejoiceth if any of his got a
little more or further degree of faith. And on the other side, as sorry was he when men came not in. Witness his tears over Jerusalem, and those
* These things I speak, that you might be
speeches of his, John v. 34,
saved. And thereupon in the ensuing verse he complainingly utters him
self, You will not (says he) come to me, that you may have life. He
speaks as one greedy of winning souls, and as sorry that any customers or
* You will not come to me, &c. And he relieves himself with this, that there were others that would, though they would not. So here in this place, when in the verse before my text he had complained of them, that they would not believe, he comforts himself with this in the words of the text, All that the Father giveth me
hearers of his should pass by, and not turn in ;
shall come unto me. And the like you have, John x. 25, 26, You believe not ; but my sheep, they hear my voice, &c. And then at his death, when he was upon the cross, he then converts a
thief that was crucified with him, and prays for those that crucified him. And ajter his resurrection his last words recorded in Luke xxiv. 47 are, That remission of sins should be preached in his name, beginning at Jeru salem ; that so those whom he had prayed for, though they had crucified
him, might be converted and saved. Thus stood his heart all the while he was on earth, both before and after his death.
3. And then, in the third place, now that he hath died and laid down that
price which was to purchase the salvation of sinners, he must needs be much more willing, if it were possible he should be, than ever. Many demonstrations there are from those obligations which Christ s sufferings and death do put upon him, which I have already given in a treatise upon this very argument, The Heart of Christ in Heaven, Part II. Only I have
reserved one or two for this place. As,
(1.) It was the aim and utmost intent of Christ s soul, in his being cru
cified, to have sinners saved, and saved effectually. It was that travail which his heart was then big with. And certainly Christ would not that
so many and so great sufferings, now that they are past and over, should be in vain. The apostle makes a motive of it unto the Galatians, Are ye so foolish ? . . . . Have ye suffered so many things in vain ? Gal. iii.
3, 4. To be sure Christ s death shall not be in vain ; he will not lose the end of his sufferings (as the same apostle intimates but four verses before,
chap. ii. 21). A business that a man hath prayed for much, how doth he
long to see it accomplished and fulfilled ! And how glad is he when it
! And why but because it is the fruit of his
falls out as he hath prayed
prayers ? Now, much more glad is Christ to see the fruit of his death, the travail of his soul, and thereby is satisfied, Isa. liii. 10, a place I
often quote to this purpose. I will add but this to it. When a woman hath been in travail, she forgets all her pains for joy that a man-child is
born, which is the fruit of that her travail ; and so doth Christ. And
then again for that other word, that Christ is said to be satisfied ; satis
faction is the accomplishment of desire, or the fulfilling of one s longings. So in that speech of Christ, Blessed are those that hunger, for they shall
ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 221
be satisfied. So that this doth argue and presuppose the most vehement
desires and longings in Christ for the salvation of souls, and his having died must needs increase them.
And (2.) add this engagement unto that former, that his death can be put to no other use than for the pardon of sinners. So as if he should not
expend it that way, he should utterly lose the fruit of it, or let it lie useless
by him. For divert it to any other use he cannot. And yet if he knew how to improve it to any other purpose, yet his love (he having intended
it for the sons of men) would not suffer him to do it. But besides, if it be not employed and bestowed this way, it will be wholly in vain ; for the
good angels, though they stand in need of his personal mediation, to con
firm them in grace, yet his blood was not requisite thereunto. And for
the bad angels, they are utterly excluded the benefit of it. And then
Christ himself, he stands in no need of it, nor can he have any benefit by
it, all that personal glory which now he hath in heaven being due unto him
by that hypostatical union. So that his death serves for no end if not for
this. Christ indeed hath an honour in heaven besides the glory of the
personal union ; but then it ariseth to him from the salvation of sinners
through his death, which salvation is the purchase of his blood ; as you have it, Eph. i., which might afford a third engagement, in that Christ should not only lose the fruit of his death, but that glory that is ordained him by the salvation of men. So that he should be a loser not only of his
sufferings by-past, but of all that glory that is to come from the salvation
of believers, which is no small thing unto him. As officers in courts of
law, or in universities, get the more fees, the more clients and the more commencers there are, so it is the more for Jesus Christ s gain that many sinners get out, and are received to grace and mercy.
Some extrinsical demonstrations of God s and Christ s willingness to pardon
sinners.
And unto all these secret engagements both of God and Christ mutually to each other, and to us, we may add all the professed publications of their minds herein unto us, which have been made upon all occasions and by all means possible. As,
: first, God
First, This news hath been published by all three persons
the Father he began to preach it to Adam in paradise, and hath renewed it
again and again, as with his own immediate voice from heaven when Christ was baptized,
* This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him ; which the apostle Peter records and confirms, as spoken a second time upon the mount, as a matter of highest moment to be known
* which voice he heard (says he), and is no fable, 2 Pet. i. 16, 17.
by us,
* the faithful and true witness, Rev. i. 5, he came from the bosom of his Father, and preached peace, Eph. ii. 17. Yea, and it was one of his first texts he preached upon, Luke iv. 18,
Secondly, Christ who is
* The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the
gospel, to preach deliverance to the captives.
Thirdly, The Holy Ghost he also herewith bearing witness, that God hath exalted Christ to be a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance and for
giveness of sins, Acts v. 31, 32. And so Heb. ii. 4. And these are these three witnesses in h naven, 1 John v. 7, whose record as it follows
is this, that there is life to be had in his Son Jesus Christ, ver. 11.
222 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH.
Secondly, God hath published this news both % all creatures reasonable, and to all creatures reasonable.
First, The angels they came and preached it, singing, Peace on earth, good will towards men, Luke ii. 13, 14.
Secondly, By men; and to that end he hath given gifts to men, powerful and full of glory, Eph. iv. 8, &c. And a commission with those gifts, a most large and gracious one. And he hath committed to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to
himself, 2 Cor. v. 20.
Yea, and thirdly, he hath maintained this ministry in all ages, even to our times, all times have rung of the news hereof, and the world is still
full of his ambassadors to treat with men about this peace, and they are to
proclaim that he is fully willing ; and upon that ground, to beseech men to be reconciled, and so long as lieger ambassadors reside uncalled home or not sent for away, so long the treaty of peace holds.
Fourthly, He hath proclaimed this by these his ambassadors in all places ; he bade them go and preach it to all the world,
* to every creature, Mark
xvi. 15. And his disciples did accordingly. Now he would not have had
it spoken so openly and generally, if he were not most serious in it.
Fifthly, Add to this, that he hath declared it by all ways arid means that do argue faithfulness and seriousness.
(First.) Not by bare word of mouth, but we have it under his hand, he hath left his mind in writing. This book, which is dropped from heaven, the title of it is, The word of reconciliation, 2 Cor. v. 19, the main argu ment of it being reconciliation. In this book we find proclamation sent
forth after proclamation, book after book, line after line, all written to this
end, that we sinners might have hope and strong consolation, as the
apostle witnesseth.
(Secondly.) He hath added to this writing those seals of the sacraments, and further, an oath to both, and that made advisedly with the greatest earnestness and deliberation that might be, Heb. vi. 17,
* God willing (the text says) more abundantly to manifest this his intent, the immutability of
his counsel, he confirmed that promise with an oath ; that by two immu
table things, his word and oath, we might have strong consolation.
(Thirdly.) If this be not sufficient, he hath pawned heaven and earth, the
* covenant of day and night, in mortgage to forgive iniquity and pardon sinners. Thus, Jer. xxxi. 34, 35, 36,
* This is my covenant (says God
there), that I will forgive their iniquities, and remember their sins no more. So ver. 34, and then it follows, ver. 35, Thus saith the Lord, who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and stars for a
: if those ordinances depart from before me, then the seed
light by night
of Israel, &c. The like you have, chap, xxxiii. 25, 26. Day and night we see stand still, and therefore this covenant holds good still. But we have a greater pawn than this, the death of his Son.
And lastly, Let his actions and courses, which he hath taken from the
beginning of the world, speak for all the rest ; as Satan hath been a mur
derer from the beginning, so God hath been a Saviour from the beginning, and Christ is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world. God began with the first of mankind, even with Adam and Eve, the ringleaders, the heads of this rebellion, who drew all the rest of the world into that enmity, these were yet reconciled. Kings usually hang up the heads and chief in
treasons, for examples of their justice, though they pardon others ; yet these did God save and pardon as examples of his mercy, to all that should
ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 223
come of them ; and it is observable that the first thing he did, after the world was fallen, was this act of mercy, both in preaching this gospel and
in pardoning them, he began to do that soon, which he meant to be always
a-doing to the end of the world : it argues he delights in it, yea, and accord
* be with us to the end
ing to Christ s last promise on earth, that he would
of the world. God is to this day reconciling the world of men to himself; some that walk in your streets by you, live among you. And he will have thousands when you are gone, and what are these but as flags, and patterns of mercy, hung forth by God to toll and bring others in, as Eph. ii. 7.
Use. What should the consideration of these things work in our hearts, but what the scope of the text itself puts men upon, even that they would come
in unto Christ, and believe on him, and give up their souls unto him ? He that believes shall in no wise be cast out. As Christ therefore is will
ing, so should we be a willing people. That which keeps men off is, that they know not Christ s mind and heart. Think it not to be an indif
ferent thing to him whether you believe or no, as if he came into the world
to do this duty of dying for sinners singly in obedience to his Father, so
that men might be rendered saveable if theyVill ; and that however, if they will not, he yet hath enough to satisfy and quiet himself with, even this, that he shall be glorified in what he hath done, though few or none of the
sons of men be saved. It is a prejudicial doctrine this to the salvation of men, and derogatory to Christ s free love. What, do we think that Jesus Christ is gone to heaven, there to complain unto angels of the unkindness and hardness of men s hearts, that will not turn to him notwithstanding he hath done so much, and to tell what he had done for them, and what they would not be persuaded to do for themselves ; and that so he can suffi
ciently please himself with such just complaints ? No, surely ; our effec
tual salvation concerns him more than so ; and his heart is more fully bent
upon it than thus to leave it. Of what he hath bought he will lose nothing. The truth is, he is more glad of us than we can be of him. The father of
the prodigal was the forwarder of the two to that joyful meeting. Hast thou a mind ? He that came down from heaven, as himself saith in the
text, to die for thee, will meet thee more than half way, as the prodigal s
: he will send him from heaven to thee, and
father is said to do, by his Spirit
at the latter day himself will come again to fetch thee and receive thee to
himself. If among the angels in heaven there be joy at the conversion of a sinner, how much more joy is there in Christ s heart ? If there be joy in the bedchamber-men (as John speaks) what joy is there in the bride
groom s heart ? Or if among the standers by, when a man-child is born
into the world, how much more doth the mother that was in travail for it, as Christ s soul was, how much more doth she rejoice ? therefore come
in unto him. If you knew his heart you would. As they that crucified him knew him not, so neither do those who believe not in him. If
you had been on earth with him, or if he were now here, and had
this day preached these things unto you, and uttered these his own
desires and longings after you ; how would you in troops go all thronging after him when the sermon were done, and each of you come about him, as those that had diseases did, and beseech him to pardon and save you, and not leave him till you have obtained some word of comfort and favour from him ! Let me tell you, he had preached this day, but that he had other business to do for you in heaven, where he is now praying and inter
ceding for you, even when you are sinning ; as on earth we see he did for
224 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH.
the Jews when they were acrucifying him. Now because he could not
for this other business come himself, he therefore sends us his ambassa
dors, and we in Christ s stead do beseech you ; and it is as if Christ by us did beseech you ; and we preach but such things as were
* first spoken by the Lord himself, as it is in Heb. ii. 3. And he sends his Spirit, and continues to give gifts unto men to this very day ; and in all these respects, whenever the gospel is preached, he is said to speak from heaven. Refuse not him that speaks from heaven, Heb. xii. 25. And though you have not his bodily presence, as they had who heard himself preach here on
earth, yet you may by faith have as free an access unto him, and know as
surely that he hears you, as if he were in the same room with you. Retire,
therefore, into your closet, and treat with him in private, and there press these things on him ; say them all over again unto himself, and ask him if
they be not true ; get the match struck up between thy soul and him, which if once made will never be undone again. Say unto him, Lord, why may it not be made up now ? Only let me add this : see you come not to him without a wedding-garment, and without wedding affections. Take up a resolution to love him. For if thou comest to him, what dost thou come
for ? Pardon of sins. And what is it in him that must procure that ? His having died for thee ; that was it. And what was it that moved him
to die ? An infinite love ; such a love, as were the thing yet to be done, he would certainly do it, and die to satisfy God for thee. Now then, seeing he hath already done it out of such a love, with what face canst thou ask
pardon of him, as the effect of such a love, and not love him again, and
obey him in all things ? But to make short with you, know this, that if
you will not come in to him, thou wilt be damned. So saith Christ, He
that believes shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned. And
I could tell you another, and as large a story of Christ s wrath against those that refuse him, as I have told you of his love. The Lamb can be
angry, for he is a Lion also. consider this therefore, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you.
THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL.
VOL. IV.
NOTE.
Under the common title, THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL, Goodwin left two works,
the one consisting of two sermons, and the other of a treatise divided into eight
chapters. Although he probably intended that the one should supersede the other
and, if he had published his works himself, would probably have suppressed the
former, the greater part of the matter of which is incorporated and more fully treated in the latter, yet,- as they are both included in the folio edition of his works,
it has not been considered right to omit either of them in this reprint ; the rather
that, as they stand, they differ too wddely to be regarded merely as different editions
of the same work. ED.
THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL.