SERMON XIV
SERM. XIV.
The Method ofGrace.
ſhed not foul-blood,by ſtifting the hopefuldeſires ofany after Chrift.
Bleffed be Godfor Jesus Christ, the desire of all nations.
* SERMON XIV.
Containing the fifth Motive to apply CHRIST, drawn from another excellent Title of CHRIST .
1 COR. ii. 8. Which none of the princes ofthis world have known, forbad they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord ofglory.
IN this chapter, the apostle diſcourſes to theCorinthians, ofthe excellencyofhis miniſtry, bothtoobviate the contemptwhich ſome caftupon itfor wantofhumanornaments,and togive the greater authority unto it among all : and whereas the ſpiritual fimplicity ofhis miniſtry laiditunderthe contempt offome, he removes that ſeveral ways, by ſhewing them,
First, That it was not ſuitable to the deſign and end ofhis miniſtry, his aim being " toknow nothingamong them, faveJe- " fus Chriſt, and him crucified, " ver. 1 , 2 .
Secondly, Neither was it for the advantage of their fouls : it might indeed tickle their fancies,butcouldbe no folid foundation to their faith and comfort, ver. 4, 5 .
Thirdly, Though his discourſes ſeemed jejune and dry to carnal hearers, yet they had adepth and excellency in them, which ſpiritual and judicious Chriſtians ſaw and acknowledged, ver. 6, 7.
Fourthly, Therefore this excellentwisdom which he preached far tranſcended all the natural wisdom of this world ; yea, the moſt raiſed and improved underſtandings ofthoſe that were moſt renowned and admired in that age for wisdom, ver. 8. " which noneofthe princes of this worldknew."
In which words we have, 1.Anegative propoſition.
2. The proofof the propofition.
First, A negative propoſition : None of the princes of this worldknewthat ſpiritual wisdom which he taught. Byprinces ofthis world, or rather, principes feculi, the princes of that age, he means, as Cameron well notes, the learned Rabbi's,
Scribes, and Pharifees, renowned for wisdom and learning a
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mong them; and honoured, upon that account, as ſo many princes: but he adds a diminutive term, which darkens all glo. ry.
They are but the princes ofthis world, utterly unacquaintedwith the wisdom of the other world.
To which he adds, " Secondly, A clear and full proof; " For had they known it, theywould not have crucified the Lord ofglory."
Inwhich words we find one of Chriſt's glorious and royal titles, TheLord ofglory : upon which title will be my preſent diſcourſe.
The words being fitly rendered, and nothing of ambiguity in them, they give us this obſervation.
Doct. That Chrift crucified is the Lordofglory.
Great and excellent is theglory ofJesus Chriſt, the ſcriptures every where proclaim his glory; yea, we may obſerve a notable climax, or gradation, in thoſe ſcriptures that ſpeak ofhis glory.
The prophet Haiah, ſpeaking of him, calls himglorious ; lla. iv. 2. " In that day ſhall the branch ofthe Lord be beautiful and glorious."
John, ſpeaking of his glory, riſes a ſtep higher, andaſcribeth tohima " glory, as oftheonlybegottenSon ofthe
" Father," John i. 14. i. e. aglory meet for, and becoming the Son ofGod: proper to him, and incommunicable to any other.
The apostle James riſes yet higher, and doth not only call him glorious, or glorious as the only begottenoftheFather ; but the glory, James ii . 1. glory in the abſtract; " Mybrethren, (faith
" he), have not the faith ofour Lord Jesus Chriſt, the glory, " with respect of perſons ;" For theword Lord, which is in our tranſlation, is aſupplement; Chriſt is glory itſelf, yea, the glory emphatically ſo ſtiled; the glory ofheaven; theglory of Sion ; the glory of our fouls for ever. The author to the Hebrews goes yet higher, and calls him not ſimply the glory, but " the " brightness ofthe Father's glory, " * Heb. i. 3. as though he ſhould ſay, the radiancy, ſparkling, or beaming forth ofhis Father's glory; the very ſplendor, or refulgency ofdivine glory.
O what a glorious Lord is our Lord Jesus Chrft ! the bright, ſparkling diamond ofheaven ; who ſhines inglorythere, above theglory ofangels andfaints, as the glory of the fun excels the leffer, twinkling ſtars. When he appearedto Paul, Acts xxvi.
13. " I faw, faith he, a light fromheaven above the bright- " neſs of the fun, ſhininground about me:" Needs muſtthe glory of Chriſt be unspeakable, who reflects glory uponall that are with him, John xvii. 24. and ſtamps glory upon all that belong to him.
His works on earth wereglorious works, Luke xiii . 17. the purchaſed liberty ofhis people, aglorious liberty,
SERM . XIV.
The Method of Grace.
Rom. viii. 21. the church his myſtical body, aglorious church, Eph . v. 27. the goſpel which reveals him, is a glorious goſpel,
1Tim. i. 11.
But, more particularly, let us conſider the glory of Chriſt, as it is diſtinguiſhed into his, either,
1. Eſſential , or, 2. Mediatorial glory.
First, The effential glory of Chriſt, which he hath asGod from everlasting ; which is unspeakable and unconceivable glory: For (faith the apostle, Phil. ii. 6.) " He being in the form
" ofGod, thought it no robbery to be equal withGod," (i. e.) hehad a peerage or equality with his Father inglory ; John *.
30. " I and my Father are one." And again, John xvi. 15.
" All things that the Father hath, are mine:" the fame name, the fame nattire, the ſame eſſential properties, the fame will, and the fame glory.
Secondly, The mediatorial glory of Chriſt is exceeding great, This is proper tohim, as thehead ofthe church, which he hath purchasedwith his own blood. Of this glory the apoſtle ſpeaks,
Phil. ii. 9, 10. " Wherefore God alſo hath exalted him, and 66 givenhim aname, which is above every name," σι. υπερυψωσέ, exalted above all exaltation. Nowthe mediatorial glory of our
Lord Jesus Chriſt conſiſteth either, 1. In the fulness of grace inherent in him : or,
2. In the dignity and authority put upon him.
First, In the fulneſs of grace inherent in him : The humanity of Chriſt is filled with grace, as the fun with light : John
1. 14. " Full ofgrace and truth." Never any creaturewas filled by the Spirit ofgrace, as the man Chriſt Jeſus is filled; for " God gives not the Spirit to him by meaſure," John iii. 34.
By reaſon of this fulness ofgrace inherent inhim, he is " fairer " than the children ofmen," Pfal. xlv. 2. excelling all the faints in ſpiritual luftre and gracious excellencies.
Secondly, In the dignity and authority put upon him. He is crowned King in Sion; all power in heaven and earth is given unto him, Mat. xxviii. 18. he is a law-giver to the church,
James iv. 12. all acts of worship are to be performed in his name ; prayer, preaching, cenfures, facraments, all to be adminiftred in his name.
Church-officers are commiffioned by him, Eph. iv. II .
The judgment of the world in the great day will be adminiſtred by him ; Mat. xxv. 31. "Then ſhall
" he fit upon the throne ofhis glory."
To conclude, JeſusChriſt ſhall have glory and honour a VOL. II.
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ſcribedtohim for evermore, by angels and ſaints, upon the accountofhis mediatorial work : this ſome divines call his paſſive glory, the glory which he is faid to receive from his redeemed ones.
Rev. v. 8, 9, 10. " And when he had taken the book, " the four beafts, andthe four andtwenty elders, felldown be- " fore the Lamb, having every one of them harps, andgolden
" vials full ofodours, which are the prayers ofthe faints ; and " they fung a new song, ſaying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof: for thou waſt flain, and " haft redeemed us toGodby thy blood, out ofevery kindred,
" and tongue, and people, and nation," &c.
And thus you fee, that our Lord Jesus Chrift is, upon all accounts, the Lord ofglory.
The uſes follow.
Inference 1.
How wonderful was the love of Christ, the Lordofglory, to befo abusedandhumbled, ashe wasfor us , vile andfinfulduft? Itis aſtonithing to conceive, that ever Jefus Chriſt ſhould strip himself of his robes of glory, to clothe himself with the mean garment of our flesh : O what a ſtoop did he make, in his incarnation, for us! If the moſt magnificent monarch upon earth hadbeen degraded into a toad; ifthe fun intheheavens had been turned into a wandering atom; if the moſt glorious angel inheaven had been transformed even into a fly; it had been nothing to the abaſement ofthe Lord ofglory.
This act is every where celebrated in ſcripture, as the great mystery, the astonishing wonder of the whole world, 2 Tim. iii. 16. Phil. ii. 8. Rom . viii. 3.
The Lord of glory looked not like himself, when he came in the habit of a man ; Ifa. liii. 3.
Wehid, as it were, " our faces from him : " Nay, rather like a worm, than a man ;
Pfal. xxii. 6. " A reproach of men,and deſpiſed of the people."
Thebirds of the air, and beasts of the earth werehere provided of better accomodations than the Lord of glory, Mat. viii.
Oſtupendous abaſement ! Olove unspeakable !
Though " he was rich, yet for our fakes he became poor, that we through " his poverty might be rich," 2 Cor. viii. 9.
He put off the crown ofglory, to put on the crown ofthorns: Quanto pro me vilior, tanto mihi charior, ſaid Bernard ; The lower he humbled bimſelf for me, the dearer he ſhall be to me.
20.
Infer. 2. How transcendently glorious is the advancement of believers, by their union with the Lord ofglory! This, alſo, is an admirable and astonishing myſtery; it is the highest dignity of which our nature is capable, to be hypostatically united; and the greatest glory of which our perfons are capable, to be myfiically united to this Lord ofglory; to be bone of his
SERM . XIV .
The Method of Grace. bone, and fleſh of his fleſh. O what is this ! Chriſtian doft thou know and believe all this, and thy heart not burn, within \ thee, in love to Chrift ? O ! then, what a heart haft thou ?
What art thou, by nature, but finfulduſt, a loathſome finner, viler than the vileft creature, caſt out to the loathing of thy perſon in theday of thy nativity ! O that ever the Lord of glory ſhould unite himself to ſuch a lump ofvileneſs ! take fuch a wretch into his very boſom ! Be astonished, O heavens and earth, at this ! this is the great myſtery which the angels ſtooped down to look into: Such an honour as this, could never have entered into the heart of man .
It would have ſeemed a rude blafphemy in us, to once have thought, or ſpoken ofſuch a thing, had not Chriſt made firſtthe motion thereof:
Yethow long didſt thou make this Lord ofglory wait uponthy undetermined will, before he gained thy conſent ? Might he not juſtly have ſpurned thee into hell, upon thy firſt refuſal , and never have made thee ſuch another offer ? Wilt thou not fay, Lord, what am I, and what is my father's houſe, that fo great a King ſhould ſtoopſo farbeneath himself, to fuch a worm as I am ! That ſtrength ſhould unite itſelf to weakneſs, infinite glory to ſuch baſeneſs ! O grace, grace, for ever tobe admired !
Infer. 3. Is Jeſus Chriſt the Lord of glory ? Then let noman count himself dishonoured by fuffering the vilest indignities for hisfake : The Lord of glory putsgloryupon the very fuffering you undergo in this world for him. " Mofes eſteemed the re66 proaches ofChriſt greater riches than the treasures ofEgypt,"
Heb. xi. 26. he caſt a kingdom at his heels, to be crowned with reproaches, for the nameof Chriſt.
The diadem of Egypt was nøt half ſo glorious, as felf-denial for Chriſt.
This Lord of glory freely degraded himself for thee, wilt thou ſtand hefitatingwith him upon terms ? It iscertainly your honour to be difhonoured for Chriſt, Acts v. 41. to you it is given, in behalfof
Chrift, notonly to believe, but alſo to fuffer for his fake, Phil. i. 29.
The gift of fuffering is there matched with the gift of faith; itis given as an honorarium, abadge ofhonour to fuffer for the Lord ofglory.
As all have not the honour to wearthe crown of glory in heaven, ſo few have thehonour to wear the chain ofChriſt upon earth.
* Thuanus reports of LodovicusMarſacus, a knight ofFrance, that, being led to fuffer with other martyrs, who were bound, and he unbound, becauſe a Yy 2 * Curme non quoque torque donas, et infignis bujus ordinis militem creas ?
Thuanus.
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perſon of honour ; he cried out, " Why don't you honour " me with a chain, too, and create me a knight of that no- " ble order ?" My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, James i. 2. (i. e.) trials by ſufferings. David thought it an honour tobe vile forGod, and that is a true obſervation, thatdiſgrace itſelfis glorious when endured forthe
Lordofglory.
Infer. 4. Is Chriſt the Lord of glory ? Howglorious, then, Shallthefaints one day be, when theyshallbe made like this glori ous Lord, and partake of his glory in heaven ? John xvii. 22,
" The glory which thou gaveſt me, I havegiven them :" Yea, thevilebodies of believers ſhall be made like to the glorious body of Chrift, Phil. iii. 21.
What glory, then, will be communicated to their fouls ? True, his eſſential glory is incommu. nicable ; but there is a glory which Chriſt will communicateto his people. "When he comes tojudge the world, he will come
66 to be glorified in his faints, and to be admired in all them " that believe," 2 Thef. i. 10.
Thus he ſeemeth to account his ſocial glory, which ſhall reſultfromhis faints, a great part of his own glory : As we have now fellowship with him in his fufferings, ſo we shall have afellowſhip, or communion with him, in his glory : When he ſhall appear, then ſhall we, alfo, appear with him in glory ; then the poorest believer ſhall be more glorious than Solomon, in all his royalty.
It was a pious faying of Luther, that he had rather be Chriftianus rufticus, quam Ethnicus Alexander ; a Chriſtian clown, than a Pagan em. peror.
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour, though he live nextdoor to a graceleſs nobleman : But it doth not yet appear what they ſhall be.
The day will come, it certainly will come, for the Lord hath ſpoken it, when they ſhall ſhine forth as thefun in the kingdom of their Father,
Infer. 5. How haththedevil blindfolded, anddeluded them that arefrighted offfrom Christ, by the fears ofbeing dishonoured by him? Manyperſons have halfamind to religion, but when they conſider the generalityof its profeſſors to be perſons of the loweſt, andmeaneſt rank intheworld, andthatreproaches and ſufferings attend that way; they ſhrink back as men athamed, and as Salvian faith, Mali effe coguntur, neviles habeantur ; they chuſe ratherto remain wicked, than to become vile : But to them that believe, Chriſt is an honour ; as the word, whichwe tranſlate precious, might be rendered, 1 Pet. ii. 7.
TillGod opensmens eyes thus, theywill putevil for good, and good for evil. ButOdearbought honours, for which men ſtake their ſouls, and everlasting happiness ! Paul was not ofyourmind,
SERM . XIV.
The Method of Grace. yet for birth he was an Hebrew of the Hebrews; for dignity, and eſteem, a Phariſee ; for moral accomplishments, touching the law, blameless : Yet all this he trampled under his feet, counting it all but droſs, and dung, in compariſon of Jeſus
Chrift. Mofes had morehonour, to laydown for Chriſt, than you; yet it was no temptationto him, to conceal or deny the faith ofChrift .
Noble Galeacius would notbe with-held from Chrift by the ſplendor and glory of Italy ; but O how doth the glory of this world dazzle, and blind the eyes ofmany : "How
" can'ye believe (faith Chriſt) who receive honour one of ano- " ther ?" John v. 44. Saintsand ſinners, upon this account, are wonders oneto the other, Itis the wonder of the world, to ſee Chriſtians glorying in reproaches ; they wonder that the faints run not withthem into the fame exceſs of riot; and it is awonder tobelievers, how ſuch poor toys, and emptytitles (rather than titles of honour) ſhould keep the world, as it doth, from Jeſus Chriſt, and their everlasting happiness in him.
Infer. 6. If Chriſt be the Lord of glory, how carefulShould all be who profess him, that they do not dishonour Jesus Christ, whose name is called upon by them ? Chriſt is a glory to you, be not you a ſhame and diſhononr to him. How carefulhad
Chriſtians need be, to draw every line, and action of their lives exactly : The more glorious Chriſt is, the more circumſpect and watchful ye had need to be. How lovely would
Jeſus Chriſt appear to the world, if the lives of Chriſtians did adorn the doctrine ofGod their Saviour, inall things ! Remember you repreſent the Lord of glory to the world ; it is not your honour only, but the honour of Chriſt which is engaged, and concerned in your actions. O let not the careleſſneſs, or ſcandals of your life, make Jeſus Chriſt aſhamed to be called your Lord.
When Ifrael had grievouſly revolted fromGod, he bids Mofes riſe andget down from thence; for(faith he) thypeople, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt, have corrupted themſelves, Deut. ix. 12. as the Lord were ashamed toown them for his peopleany longer.
It was a cutting queftion, James ii. 7. apt to ſtartle the confciences of thoſe looſe profeſſors; " Dotheynotblafpheme that worthynamebywhich
" ye are called ? " Your duty is, to adorn the goſpel by your converſations, Titus ii. 10. The words fignify to deck, trim, or adorn the gofpel, make it trim, neat, and lovely, to the eyes of beholders.
When there is ſuch a beautiful harmony, and lovely proportion betwixt Chriſt's doctrine andyour practices, as there is in the works of creation, wherein the comelineſs andelegancy of the world much confifts, (for to this the
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apoſtle's word here alludes) then do we walk fuitably to the Lordofglory.
Infer. 7. What delight ſhouldChriſtians take in theirdaily conversewith Jesus Christ in theway ofduty ? * Your converſes in prayer, hearing, and meditation, are with the Lord of glory :
The greatest peers in the kingdom, account it more honour to beinthe prefence of aking, bare-headed, or upon the knee at court, thantohave thousands ſtanding bare to them in the country.
When you are called to the duties of communion with Chrift, you are called to the greatest honour, dignifiedwith the nobleft privilege creatures are capable ofin this world : Hadyou buta fenſe of that honourGod puts upon you by this means, you would not need somuch preſſing and ſtriving, to bring a deadandbackward heartinto the ſpecialprefenceofJeſusChriſt.
When he faith, Seek ye my face, your hearts ſhould echo to his calls; Thy face, Lord, will we ſeek.
But, alas ! the glory of Chrift is much hid, and veiled, by ignorance, and unbelief, from the eyes of his own people; it is but feldom the beſt offaints, by the eye offaith, do fee the king in his glory.
Infer. 8. If Chriſt be ſo glorious, howshould believers long to be with him, and behold him in his glory above ? Moſt men need patience to die, a believer ſhould need patience to live.
Paul thought it well worth enduring the pangs of death, to get a fightofJesusChriſt inhis glory, Phil. i.23. " The Lord direct
66 your hearts into the love ofGod, and patient waiting for " Chriſt," (faith the apostle) 2 Theff. iii.5. intimating, that the faintshavegreat need ofpatience,to enable them to endure the ſtateofdiſtanceand feparation from Chriſt, ſo long as they must endure it in this world.
The Spirit and the bride fay, come, and let him that heareth, fay, come, and let him that is a thirst come : even fo, come LordJesus, and be thou as aswift roe upon the mountains of feparation.
Bleffedbe Godfor Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
* Suppoſe (faith Mr. Rutherford) there were no letter of command, yet there is a ſuitableneſs betwixt the law engraven on the heart, and the ſpiritual matter commanded.
There is an heaven in theboſom ofprayer, though there were not a granting of the ſuit.
Rutherford's Treatise of the Covenant, p
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SERMON XV.
Opening the fixth Motive to come to CHRIST, contained in the fixth and laſt Title of CHRIST.
LUKE ii . 25.--Waiting for the [Confolation] of Ifrael.
Several glorious titles ofChriſthave beenalready ſpokento, out ofeach of which, much comfort flows to believers : It is comfortable to a wounded foul, to eye him as a phyfician ; comfortable to a condemned and unworthy foul, to look upon him under the notion ofmercy : The lovelineſs, the defirableneſs, and the glory ofChriſt, are all fo many ſprings of confolation.
But now I am to ſhew you, from this ſcripture, that the faints havenotonlymuch conſolation from Chrift, but thatChrift himſelf is the very confolation of believers : He is pure comfort wrapped up in flesh andblood.
In this context, you have an account of Simeon's prophecy concerning Chrift ; and inthis text, adeſcription of the perfon, and quality of Simeon himself, who is described two ways..
1. By his practice.
2. By his principle.
His practicewas heavenly, and holy ; he was ajust anddevout man : The principle from which his righteouſneſs and holiness didflow, was his faith in Chrift ; " hewaited for the confolation
" of Ifrael."
In which words by way of periphrafis, we have, 1. Adeſcription ofChriſt, the confolation ofIfrael .
2. The deſcription of a believer, one that waited for Chrift.
First, That the confolation of Ifrael is a phraſe deſcriptive of Jeſus Chriſt, is beyond all doubt, ifyou confult ver. 26. where he, (i. e.) Simeon is fatisfiedby receiving Chriſt into his arms, the confolation for which hehad folongwaited.
Secondly, * And that waiting for Chriſt is a phraſe deſcribing the believers of thoſe times that preceded the incarnation of Chrift, is paſtdoubt; they all waitedfor that bleſſed day: But it was Simeon's lot to falljust upon that happy point oftime, whereinthe prophecies and promiſes of his incarnation were fulfilled.
Simeon, and others that waitedwith him, were ſenſible, that the time of the promise was come, which could not but * It is a phrafe, common and well known among the Jews at that time, by which the coming of Chriſt was ſignified.
Ludov.
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raiſe (as indeed itdid) ageneral expectation of him, John ix.
19.
But Simeon's faith was confirmed, by a particular revelation, ver. 26.
That he ſhould fee Chriſt before he saw death, which could not but greatly encourage and raiſe his expectation to look out for him, whoſe coming wouldbe the greatest conſolation to the whole Ifrael of God.
The confolation παρακλησις.
The Spirit is frequently called in ſcripture, παρακλητης; the Comforter: But Chriſt, inthis place, is called παρακληςι , comfort, or confolation itself: The reason ofboth is given inJohn xvi. 14.
" He ſhall take ofmine and (hew it untoyou : " Where Chrift is ſaid tobe the matter, and the Spirit, the applier of true comfort to the people of God. Now this conſolation is here expreſſedbothwith a fingular emphasis [the confolation] intimating that there is nothing of confolation in any thing beſides him; all other comforts compared with this, are not worth naming.
And as it is emphatically expreſſed, ſo it is alſo limited and bounded within the compafs ofGod's Ifrael, (i. e.) true believers, ſtiled the Ifrael ofGod, whether Jews orGentiles, Gal. vi.
16.
From whence the point ofdoctrine is, Doct. That Jesus Chrift is the only confolation ofbelievers, and ofnone befides them.
So ſpeaks the apostle, Phil. iii. 3. "For we are the circum- " cifion, which worshipGod in theSpirit, and rejoice in Chrift
Jefus, andhave no confidence in the ſleſh."
Thoſe thatworShip God in the Spirit are fincere believers ; to fuch fincerebe- " lievers, Chriſt is confolation, our rejoicing is in Christ Jesus :
And theyhave no conſolation in any thing beſide him ; nothing inthe world cangivethem comfort without Chriſt, Wehave no confidence in theflesh.
The goſpel is glad tidings of greatjoy ; but that which makes it tobe ſo, is Jefus Chriſt, whom it impartsand reveals tous, Luke ii. 10, 11.
Inthe openingof this comfortable point, four things must be ſpokento, for the right ſtating the method of our diſcourſe, viz.
1. What is meant by confolation.
2. That Chrift, and he only, is conſolationtobelievers.
3. That believers onlyhave conſolation in Chrift .
4. How it comes topaſs, that any believer ſhould be dejected, fince Chriſt is conſolation to allbelievers .
The first thing to be opened, is the nature of confolation, which is nothing else but the cheariness ofa man's spirit, whereby he is upheld, and fortified against all evils felt, or feared.
Conſolation is to the foul, what health is tothebody after wafting fickness ; or the reviving ſpring, to theearth, after a long and hard winter.
And there are three forts ofconfolation, or
SERM . XV.
The Method of Grace. comfort, fuitable to thediſpoſition and temper of the mind, viz.
Natural, Sinful, and Spiritual .
Natural comfort is the refreshment of our natural ſpirits by thegood creatures ofGod, Acts xiv. 17. " Filling their hearts
66 with food and gladneſs."
Sinful comfort is the fatisfaction and pleaſure men take in the fulfilling of their lufts, by the abuſe of the creatures ofGod, James v. 5. " Ye have livedin pleaſure upon earth," (i. e.)your life hath been a life of ſenſuality and fin.
Spiritual comfort is the refreshment, peace,and joy, gracious ſouls have in Chriſt, by the exerciſe of faith, hope, and other graces, Rom. v. 2. And this only deſerves the name of true folidconfolation : To which four things are required. i First, That the matter thereof be ſome spiritual, eminent, and durable good; elſe our conſolation in itwill be but as the crackling of thorns under a pot, a fudden blaze, quickly extinct withthe failing matter of it.
Chriſt only gives the matter of folid durable confolation ; the righteousness of Chriſt, the pardonof fin, the favour ofGod, the hopes ofglory, are the ſub-
ſtantial materials ofa believer's confolation, Rom. v. 2. Matth. ix. 2. Plal. iv. 6, 7. 2 Pet. i. 8.
Things are as their foundations be.
Secondly, Interest and propriety in theſe comfortable things, are requifite to our conſolation by them ; Luke i. 47. " My ſpi- " rit rejoiceth in God my Saviour."
It isnoconſolation to him that is hungry, to fee afeast ; to him that ispoor to feeatreafure; if the one maynot taſte, or the otherpartake thereof.
Thirdly, Knowledge, and evidence of intereſt, in ſomedegree, is requifice, to actual confolation,though without it a man may be in the ſtateofconfolation ; for that which appears not, is (in point ofactual comfort) as if it were not.
Fourthly, In order hereunto, the work of the Spirit upon our hearts is requifite, both togive, and clear our intereſt in Chriſt, and the promiſes : And both theſe ways he is the Comforter,
" The fruit of the Spirit is joy," Gal. v. 22. Andthus briefly ofthe natureofconfolation.
Secondly, Next I will ſhew you that Chriſt, andhe only, is matter of confolation to believers : which will demonſtratively appearby this argument.
Arg. Hethatbringstotheir fouls all thatiscomfortable, and
VOL . II.
The Method of Grace.
SERM. XV removes fromtheir fouls all that is uncomfortable, muſt needs be theonly confolation of believers .
But Jefus Chrift brings to their fouls all that is comfortable, and removes from their fouls all that is uncomfortable.
Therefore Chriſt only is the confolation ofbelievers.
First, Jeſus Chrift brings whatsoever is comfortable to the fouls of believers.
Is pardon comfortable to a perfon condem ned? Nothing canbe matter of greater comfort in this world,
Why, this Chrift brings to all believers, Jer. xxiii. 6. "And this " is the name whereby he ſhall be called, the Lord our righte
" ouſneſs."
This cannotbut give ſtrong confolation ; righte ouſneſs is the foundation of peace, andjoy in the Holy Ghoft,
Rom. xiv. 17. " The work of righteouſneſs ſhallbe peace ; and " the effect ofrighteouſneſs,quietneſs, and aſſurance for ever,"
Ifa. xxxii. 17.
Come to a dejected foul, labouring under the burden of guilt, and ſay, cheer up, I bring you good tidings, there is ſuch an eſtate befallen you, or ſuch a troubleſome bufineſs comfortaby ended for you; alas ! this will not reachthe heart: Ifyou can bring me (faith he) good news from heaven, that my fius are forgiven, andGod reconciled, how foon ſhould
I be comforted! And therefore (as one well obſerves) this was the uſual receipt with which Chrift cured the fouls ofmen and women, when he was here on earth ; Son or daughter, " be
" of good cheer, thy fins be forgiven thee." And, indeed, it is as eaſy to ſeparate light and warmth from the beams of the fun, as cheeriness and comfort from the voice of pardon.
Arethehopes and expectations ofheaven andglory comfort able ! Yes ſure, nothing is comfortable ifthis be not ; Rom. y.
2. " We rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Now, Chrill brings to the fouls ofmen allthe folid grounds, and foundations upon which they build their expectations of glory, Col. i. 27.
" Which is Chrift, in you, the hope of glory."
Name any thing elfe that is folid matter of comfort to the fouls of men, and the grounds thereof will be found in Chriſt, and in none but Chrift: as might easily bedemonftratedbythe enumeration ofmultitudes of particular inſtances, which I cannot now infift upon.
Secondly, Jeſus Chriſt removes from believers whatever is up comfortable; therein relievingthem against allthe matters of their affliction and forrow....As namely,
First, Is fin a burden and matter of trouble, to believers !
Chritt, andnone but Chrift, removes that burden, Rom . vii. 24
O-wretched man that Iam! (faith fin-burdened Paul) who will deliver me from the body ofthis death ? I thank
25.
SERM . XV.
The Method of Grace.
"Godthrough Jeſus Chriſt our Lord." The fatisfaction ofhis blood, Eph. v. 2. The ſanctification ofhis Spirit, John i. 5. 6.
His perfect deliverance of his people from the very being of fin at laſt, Eph . v. 26, 27. This relieves at préfent, and removes at laſt the inatter and ground of all their troubles and forrows for fin.
Secondly, Dothe temptations of fatan burden believers ? Oyes byreaſon of temptations ; they go in trouble and heavineſs of ſpirit.
Temptation is an enemy under the walls ; temptation greatly endangers, and therefore cannot but greatly afflict the fouls ofbelievers ; but Chrift brings the only matter ofrelief againſttemptations. The interceffion ofChrift is a fingular relief at prefent, Luke xxii. 32. " But I have prayed for thee, that thy
" faith fail not."
And the promises ofChriſt are a full relief for the future ; " TheGod ofpeace ſhall ſhortly tread fatan
" underyour feet," Rom. xvi . 20.
Thirdly, Is ſpiritual defertion, and the hiding of God's face, matter of affliction and caftingdown to believers ? Yes, yes, it diſtreſſes their hearts ; nothingcancomfort them ; "Thou hideft
" thy face, and I was troubled," Pfal. xxx. 7. Outward afflictions dobut break theskin, this touches the quick ; they like rain fall only upon the tiles, this foaks into the houſe ; but Chrift brings to believers ſubſtantial matter of confolation against the troubles ofdefertion : He himselfwas deferted ofGodfor a time, that they might not be deferted for ever.
Inhim alſo the relieving promiſes aremadeto believers, that notwithstandingGod maydefert them for a time, yet the unionbetwixthimand them ſhall never be diſſolved, Heb. xiii. 4. Jer. xxxii. 40. Though he forfake them for a moment, in reſpect of evidenced favour, yet he will return again and comfort them, Ifa. liv. 7. Though fa tan pull hard, yet he will never be " able to pluck them out of "hisFather's hand," John x. 20. Oh whatreliefis this ! What confolation is Chrift to a deferted believer.
Fourthly, Are outward afflictions matter of dejection and trouble ? Alas, who finds them not to be fo ? How do our hearts fail and our ſpirits fink under the many finarting rods of God upon us ? But our reliefand confolation under them allis in Chrift Jefus; for the rod that afflicts us isin the hand of Chrift that loveth us, Rev. iii, 29, "Whom I love, I rebuke
" and chaften."
His deſign in affliction is our profit, Heb. xii, 10. That deſign ofhis for ourgood ſhall certainly be accomplished, Rom. viii . 28. And afterthat no more afflictions for ever,
Rev. xxi. 3, 4."God ſhall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
So that upon the whole, two things are moſt evident.
Zz2
The Method of Grace.
SERM . XV,
First, Nothingcancomfort the foul withoutChriſt! he is the foul thatanimates all comforts, they wouldbe dead things with out him.
Temporal enjoyments, riches, honours, health, relations, yield not adrop of truecomfort without Chriſt.
Spiritual enjoyments, minifters, ordinances, promiſes, are fountains ſealed and ſprings ſhut up; till Chriſt openthem, amanmay go comfortless in the midst of them all.
Secondly, No troubles, forrows, or afflictions candeject or fink the foul that Chriſt comforteth, 2Cor. vi. 20. "As forrow.
" ful, yet always rejoicing." A believer maywalk with aheart fullofcomfortamidit all the troubles ofthis world : Chrift makes thedarkness oftroubles tobe lightround about his people. So thatthe concluſion ſtands firm, and never tobe ſhaken, that Chrift, and Chriſt only, is the conſolation of believers ; which was the thing to be proved.
Inthe third place, Iam to ſhewyou that believers, and none but believers, can have conſolation in Chriſt ; which will con. vincingly appear from the confideration ofthoſe things which we laiddownbefore as the requiſites to alltrue ſpiritual confola tion.
For, First, No unbeliever hath the materials, outofwhich ſpiritual comfort ismade, which (as I there toldyou) must be ſome folid, ſpiritual and eternal good, as Chriſt and the covenant are : what do unregenerate men rejoice in, but trifles andmere vanities, in athing ofnought ? Amos vi. 13. See how their mirth isdefcrib ed inJob xxi. 12, " They take their timbrel and harp, and re
" joice at the found ofthe organ." He doth not ſay, theytake theBible, turn to the promises, and rejoice in Chrift and the Covenant; 'tis not the melody ofa good confcience, thejoyof theholyGhost ; no, no, they have no acquaintance with fuch muſic as that; but the rejoicing of believers is in thoſe things,
2Cor. i. 12. and this is well-built confolation, which reaches the heart.
Secondly, I told you, that propriety andintereſt in Chriſt and thepromises, are required toall ſpiritual confolation : but no un believer hath any title or intereſt in Chriſt and the promifes, and ſotheycan fignifynothing tohim in pointofcomfort. 'Tis not another man's money, but my own, that muſt feed, cloth and comfort me; nor is it another man's Chriſt, but my own
Chriſt, that muſt juſtify, ſave and comfort myfoul.
Thirdly, You were told, that evidence of a man's peace and reconciliation with God, is neceſſary to his actual confolation, whichno unbeliever can poſſibly have ; he hath neither grace
Within him to make him a qualified ſubject of any special pro
SERM . XV.
The Method of Grace. miſe, nor any witneſs or feal of the Spirit, t his propriety in Chrift; for he never feals,
brift, the. next .Thin fixed and Selves ſanctifies. So that it is beyond all contradicti andnone but believers, are partakers of the are in Chrift Jefus. a xe
of CTS, Fourthly, and lastly, There is one inquiry r tisfied; namely, feeing Jeſus Chrift is confolati howit comes topaſs, that ſo many believers in theworld ſhould walk ſo dejectedly as they do, without any ſpiritual confolation?
First, This need not be wonder'd at, ifwe conſider, that the confolations of Chriſt are oftwo forts ;feminal and in preparation, or actual in preſent poffeffion. Every believer in the world hath the root and feed of comfortplanted and fown for him, Pfal . xcvii. 11. " Light is ſown for the righteous, and " gladneſs for the upright in heart."
They have Chrift and the promises, which are the feeds ofconfolation, and will bring forthjoy at laſt, though at preſent theyhave have no actualconfolation; the feed ofall joy is fown, and in due time they ſhall reap the full ripe fruit thereof, Secondly, It must be remembered, that interest and evidence arediſtinct bleſſings, every believerhath intereft in Chriſt ; but very believer hath not the evidence thereof, Ifa. 1. 10. " Who " is among you, that feareththe Lord, and obeyeth the voice
" ofhis ſervant; that walketh indarkness, andhath no light?"
Every child of God is not of fufficient age to know his father, ortake comfort inthatbleſſed inheritance whereunto he is begotten again, I Pet, i. 3, 4.
Thirdly, Every believer doth not walk with like ſtrictneſs, and exact holiness: all do not exerciſe faith in a like degree.
Among Chriſtians ſome are ſtrong in grace, rich in faith, ſtrict in obedience, tender offin toan eminentdegree ; theſe uſually are owners of much confolation : but others are weak in grace, poor in faith, comparatively careless of their hearts and ways, frequently grieving the good ſpirit ofGod, and wounding their own confciences (the veſſel into which ſpiritual confolation is poured) ; and theſe are usuallydenied thejoyand comfort which others abound withal .
Fourthly, The confolations of Chriſt are arbitrarilydiſpenſed by the Spirit, who is the Comforter, and giveth to every man inſuch proportions, and atſuch ſeaſons, as pleaſeth him : whence it comes topaſs, thathe that is rich in comfort today, maybe poor to morrow ; and, contrarily, the heart that is quite full of forrow one hour, is filled with peace andjoy in believing the
SERM. XV.
The Method of Grace.
First, gs that are neceſſary to the being ofaChriſtian, are, foul to ftable ; but things belonging only to the well-being puhriſtian, comeand go, according tothe goodpleaſure and pointment ofthe Spirit.
The use of all follows .
Infer. 1. Hence it follows, That thestate of unbelivers is the mostfad and uncomfortablestate in the world, having no interest in Christ, the confolation of Ifrael.
It is true, they abound in creature-comforts ; they live in pleaſure upon earth: joydif plays its colours in their faces; but for all this, there is notthe leaft drop of true conſolation in any oftheir hearts ; they have fome comfort in the creature, but none in Chriſt: that little theygather from the creature now, is all their portion ofjoy,
Luke vi. 24. " Ye have receivedyour confolation :" as this is all they have, ſo they ſhall enjoy it but a little while, Job xxi . 13,
17. And while they do enjoy it, it is mixed with manygripes of confcience, Job xiv. 13. " Even in laughter the heart is for- " rowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness."
Whatever confolation any unbeliever ſpeaks of beſides this, is but by rote; for when the day of his diſtreſs cometh, and the terrors of confcience thall awake him out of his pleasant dreams, all his fenfual joys willvanith from him, and the doors of true con folation will be ſhut against him. Let him go to Jeſus Chriſt, knock at that door, and ſay, Lord Jeſus, thy name is confolation: my heart is ready to burſt within me ; haft thou no confolation for me ? O Lord, for one drop of ſpiritual comfort now; but alas there is none, no not in Chriſt himself, for any unbeliever.
It is childrens bread, the faints privilege ; comfort and grace are undivided.
Let him return into hiinſelf, ſearch his own confcience for comfort, and ſay, O confcience ! thou artmore thana thousand witneſſes, and thousands have been
'comforted by thee; where thou ſpeakeſt comfort, none can fpeak trouble; haft thou no confolation for me in my deepelt diſtreſs ? Alas, no; if God condemn thee, wherewithal ſhall I comfort thee ? I can ſpeak neither more nor leſs than the ſcrip tures put into my mouth, and I find notone word in all the book of God, warranting me tobe thy comforter.
Believe it as an undoubted truth (though the fenſe of the bewitched world o ver-rules it) that the ſtate ofunbelievers, even at the beſt, is a fad and diſmal ſtate.
Iufer. 2. Let all believers fetch all their comfort out of Chrift, who is the confolation of his people : "We rejoice (faith the apofile) in Chrift Jeſus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
That is the true temper ofa believing foul : take heed you live not partly upon Chrift, and partly upon the creature for your
SERM. XV.
The Method of Grace.
comfort; much rather beware, that you forſake not Chriſt, the. fountain of livingwaters, and hew out cifterns for yourſelves which canhold no water, Jer. ii. 13.
Ifyou make any creature the ſpring and fountain ofyour comfort, aſſuredly God willdry up that ſpring.
If your fouls draw their comfort from any creature, you know they must out-live that creature, and what then willyou do for comfort ? Besides, as your comforts are, ſo are you .
The foodof every creature is ſuitable to itsnature.
You ſee divers creatures feeding uponſeveral parts ofthe fame herb, the bee upon the flower, the bird upon the feeds, the theep upon the ſtalk,and the ſwine upon the root, according to their nature ſo is their food.
Senſual men feed upon fenfual things, ſpiritual menupon ſpiritual things; as your food is, fo areyou.
If carnal comforts can content thy heart, fure thy heart muſt then be a very carnal heart.
Yea, and let Chriſtians themſelves take heed, that they fetch not their confolations out ofthemselves instead of Chrift.
Your graces and duties are excellent means and inſtruments, but not the ground-work and foundation of your comfort, they are useful buckets todraw, but not the well itſelf in which the ſprings of confolation rife.
If you putyour duties in the room of Chrift, Chriſt will pat your comforts out ofthereachofyourduties.
Infer. 3.
IfChrist be the confolation of believers, what a comfortable lifeshould all believers live in the world ? Certainly, ifthe faultbe notyour own, you might live the happiest and comfortableſt lives of all men in the world.
If you would not bea difcomfort to Chriſt, he would be a comfort toyou every day, and in every condition, to the end of your lives.
Your condition abounds with all the helps and advantages of confolation. You have the command of Chrift to warrantyour comforts, Phil. iv. 4. You have the Spirit ofChrift for a fpring of comfort ; you have the ſcriptures of Chriſt for the rules of comfort; you have the duties ofreligion for the means ofcomfort : Why is it then thatyou go comfortless ? Ifyour afflictions be many in the world, yet your encouragements be more in Chrift.
Your troubles in the world may be turned into joy, but your comforts in Chrift cannever be turned into trouble.
Why ſhould troubles obſtruct your comfort, when the bleſſing of Chriſt upon your troubles makes them ſubſervient to promote your happiness ? Rom. viii. 28.
Shake off the deſpondency then, and live up to the principles of religion.
Yourdejected life is uncomfortable to yourselves, and of very illuſe to others..
Infer. 4. If Chrift be the confolation of believers, then let all
The Method ofGrace.
SERM. XVI.
thatdefire comfort in this world, or in that to come, embrace JefusChrift, and get real union with him.
The fame hour you ſhallbe in Chrift, you shall alſo be at the fountain-head of all confolations : thy foul ſhallbe then a pardoned foul, and a pardoned foul hath all reaſon inthe world to be a joyful foul : in that day the conſcience ſhall be ſprinkled with the blood of Chriſt; and a sprinkled conſcience hath all the reaſon in the world to be a comforting confcience: in that day you become the children of your Father in heaven, and he that hath a Father in heaven, hath all reaſon to be the joyfullest man upon earth; in that day you are deliveredfrom the ſtingand hurt of death; and he that is delivered from the ſting of death, hath the beſt reaſon to take in the comfort of life.
O come to Chriſt! come to Chrift! till you come to Chrift, no true comfortcancome to you.
** SERMON XVI.
Enforcing the general Exhortation, bya ſeventh Motive drawn from the firſt Benefit purchaſed by CHRIST.
EPH. i. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness offins, according tothe riches ofhis grace.
SIX great motives havebeen preſented already from theti tles of Chriſt, todraw the hearts offinners to him ; more are now tobe offeredfrom the benefits redounding to believers by Chriſt ; eſſaying, by all means, to win the hearts ofmento
Chriſt.
To this end Iſhall, inthe firſt place,open that glorious privilege ofgospel-remiſſion, freely andfully conferred upon all that come to Chrift by faith, "inwhomwe have-redemptionby
" faith," &c.
Inwhich words we have, first, a ſingular benefit, or choice mercy bestowed, viz. redemption, interpretedbyway ofappofition, the remiffion offins : this is a privilege ofthe first rank, a mercy by itſelf; none ſweeter, none more defirable among all the benefits that come by Chriſt.
And therefore, Secondly, You have the price ofthis mercy, an account what it coſt, even the blood of Christ, in whom we have redemption
[through his blood : precious things are of great price; the blood of Chrift is the meritorious cauſe ofremiſſion.
Thirdly, You have here alſo the impulfive cause, movingGod
SERM . XVI.
The Method of Grace. togrant pardons atthis rate to finners, and that is ſaid tobe the riches of his grace : where, by the way, you fee, that the freeness of thegrace ofGod, and the fulness ofthe fatisfaction ofChriſt, meet together without the leaſtjar in the remiſſion of fin, contrary to the vain cavilof the Socinian adverſaries : "In " whom we have redemption, even the remiſſion of fins, ac- " cording to the riches of his grace."
-Fourthly, You have the qualifiedfubjects of this bleſſed privi- - lege, viz . Believers, in whoſe name he here ſpeaks, [we] have remiffion, (i. e.) We the faints and faithful in Chrift Jefus, ver. 1. Wewhom he hath choſen in Chriſt before the foundation of theworld, and predeſtinated unto the adoption of children, ver. 4, 5.
We that are made accepted inthebeloved, ver. 6.
It is we, and we only, who have redemption through hisblood.
Hence obſerve, Doct. That all believers, and none but believers, receive the remiſſion of their fins, through the riches of grace, by the blood ofJesus Chrift.
Inthe explication of this point, three things must be ſpoken Y to.
1. That all that are in Chriſt, are in apardoned ſtate.
2. That their pardon is the purchase of theblood ofChrift.
3. That the riches ofgrace are manifeſted in remiſſion.
First, That all that are in Chriſt, are in a pardoned ſtate : where I will firſt ſhewyou what pardon or remiſſion of fin is.
Secondly, That this is the privilege ofnone but believers.
First, Now remiffion of fin is the gracious act ofGod, in and through Chriſt, diſcharging abelieving finner from all the guilt and punishmentofhis fin,both temporal and eternal.
It is the act ofGod; he is the author of remiſſion; none can forgive finsbutGod only,Mark ii. 7.
Against him only, (i. e.) principally and eſpecially, the offence is committed, Pfal. li. 4.
Tohisjudgment guilt binds over the foul ; and who can remit thedebt, but the creditor ? Mat. vi. 12 .
It is an act ofGod, diſcharging the ſinner; it isGod's loofingofone that ſtoodbound,the cancelling ofhis bond or obligation, called therefore remiſſion, or releaſing in the text; the blotting out of our iniquities, orthe removing ofour fins from us, as itis called in other ſcriptures ; ſee Pfal. ciii. 11. Micah vii. 18, 19.
It is a gracious act ofGod, the effect of pure grace, done for his ownname's fake, Iſa. xliii. 25. difcharging us withoutany fatisfaction at all by us : there is muchgrace in that; and proVOL. II.
Aaa
The Method of Grace.
SERM . XVI,
viding a furety for us every way able to pay our debt, there is moregrace inthat.
It is the gracious act ofGod in andthrough Chriſt : the fatisfaction of Chrift is the procuringcauſe ofour remiſſion, and fo God declares himself juſt in the remiffion of our fin, Rom. iii. 25. "Gracious is the Lord and righteous," Pfal. cxvi . 5.
Juſtice and mercy meet here, and embrace each other ; "in "whom (faith the text) we have remiſſion:" no other price could purchase this privilege, Micah vi. 6, 7. notrivers ofoil, or ofhuman blood.
And this gracious act of Goddiſcharges the pardoned fout both from guilt and punishment. Guilt is nothing elsebut the force and power that isin fin, to oblige the ſinner to undergo the penaltydue to fin; therefore ſinners are faid to be guilty ofhell-fire, Mat. v. 22. Guilty of eternaljudgment, Mark iii. 29.
To be under the judgment of God, Rom. iii. 19.
Remiffion takes awayboth guilt and punishment together ; it takes away all guilt, Acts xiii. 38, 39. and all punishment. Andso much ofthe first thing to be opened, namely, what the remiſſion of finis.
Secondly, Now that this remiſſion of finis the privilege of believers, is moſt apparent; for all the caufes ofremiffion are in conjunction to procure it for them: the love ofGod, which is the impulfive cauſe of pardon; the blood of Chriſt, which is the meritorious cauſe ofpardon; and faving faith, which is the inſtrumental cauſe ofpardon, do all co-operate for their remiffion, as is plain in the text.
Befides, all the promises of pardon are made to them, Jer. xxxi. 34. Micah vii. 18. And, laſtly, all the figns of pardon are found in them, andinthem only, that loveGod, Luke vii.
47.
Mercifulneſs to others, Mat. vi. 14. A bleſſed calmneſs andpeace in the confcience, Rom. v. 1.
So that it is a truth beyond controverfy, that all that are inChriſt are in a pardoned ſtate.
Secondly, Next I will ſhewyou, that the pardon ofbelievers is the purchase of the blood of Chriſt : nothing but theblood of Chriſt is a price equivalent to the remiſſion of fin, for this bloodwas innocent and untainted blood, 1Pet. i. 19. theblood ofa Lamb without ſpot: this blood was preciousblood, blood ofinfinite worth and value, theblood ofGod, Acts xx. 28. It was preparedblood for this verypurpoſe, Heb. x. 5. Prepared byGod's eternal appointment; prepared by Chriſt's miraculous and extraordinaryproduction by the operation of the Spirit,
SERM . XVI.
The Method of Grace.
prepared by his voluntary ſequeſtration, or ſanctification of himſelf to this very uſe and purpoſe.
The blood ofJeſus is not only innocent, precious, andpreparedblood, but it is alſoblood actually ſhed, and facrificed to thejustice ofGod, for the expiation of guilt, and procurement ofour discharge, Ifa. liii. 5. To conclude: the ſevere juſtice ofGod couldput in no exception against theblood of Chriſt ; itisunexceptionable blood, being, (as before was noted), untaintedby fin, and dignified above all eſtimation by the perfon whoſeblood it was : Juſtice required no leſs, and coulddemand no more; and this is the price at which our pardons are purchaſed, and without which no ſin could be pardoned; for " without ſhedding of blood, (ſuch blood as this) there is no " remiſſion," Heb. ix. 22.
Thirdly, The laſt thing to be opened is, ThatGodhath ma nifeſted the riches ofhis grace,inthe remiſſion of our fins. So ſpeaks the apoſtle, Rom. v. 20. " Where fin abounded, grace
" did much more abound:" And, I Tim. i. 14. " The grace " of our Lord (viz. in the pardon of fin) was exceeding a- " bundant."
Which will appear, if we bring our thoughts cloſe to the matter, in ſeveral particulars.
First, From the nature of the mercy, which is the riches of allmercies, except Chriſt the purchaser of it : No mercy ſweeterthanapardontoacondemned finner: no pardon like God's pardon toaman condemnedathis bar; all the goodness ofGod is made to paſs before our eyes inhis pardoning acts of grace,
Exod. xxxiii . 19.
Secondly, The very riches of grace muſt needs be in the pardon of fin, ifwe conſider the method inwhich pardons are dif penſed, which is, as the text ſpeaks, " through his blood."
Herein"God commends his love to us," Rom. v. 8. He commends it more than ifhe had pardoned ſin without fucha facrifice; for then he had only diſplayed his mercy, but notcaufed mercyandjustice to meetand triumph together,
Thirdly, Theriches ofhisgrace ſnine forth inthe peculiarity of the mercy.
Remiſſion is nocommon favour ; it was never extended to the fallen angels, nor to the greater part of the children of men, but only to a little flock, a ſmall remnant of mankind, Luke xii. 32. John xvii. 9.
Fourthly, The riches ofgrace are manifeſted inremiſſion, if weconſider the fubjects of this privilege, who are not only equallyplungedinto fin and miſery with others by nature, Eph, ii. 3. but many of the Lord's pardonedones, have been actualAaa 2
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lyguilty ofadeeper-dyed abomination, than many unpardoned ones, in the civilized world, are defiled with.
" To me, (faith Paul), the greatest of finners, one that was before a " blafphemer, a perfecutor, &c. yet to me is this grace given ;
" I obtained mercy," I Tim. i. 15. "And fuch were ſome of " you, but ye are justified," I Cor. vi. 11.
Yea, God ſingles out the moſt baſe, deſpiſed, poor, and contemptible ones among men, tobe the ſubjects ofthis glorious privilege, 2 Cor. i. 26.
" You fee your callingbrethren," &c.
Fifthly, More of theriches ofgrace ſtill appear, ifwe view the latitude and extent of this act of grace. Ohow innumerable areour tranſgreſſions ! " Who can underſtand his errors?"
Pfal . xix . 12. " Yet the blood of Chrift cleanſeth us from all " fin," 1 John i. 7. Small and great fins, openand ſecret ſins, old and new fins, all pardoned without exception. O the riches of grace ! O the unſearchable goodness ofGod !
With the " Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemp-
" tion; and he ſhall redeem Ifrael from all his iniquities," Plal .
CXXX. 7, 8.
Sixthly, and lastly, The riches ofgrace ſhine forth in the irrevocableness and perpetuity of remiffion. As grace pardons all fins without exception, ſo the pardons it beſtows are without revocation : The pardoned foul ſhall " never come into " condemnation," John v. 24.
" As far as the eaſt is from " the weſt, ſo far hathhe removed our tranfgreffions from us,"
Pfal. ciii. 10.
The east and west are the two oppofite points ofheaven, which cannever come together; neither ſhall the pardoned ſoul, andits fins, ever meet anymore. " Thou haft
" caſt, (faith Hezekiah), all my fins behind thy back."
The penitent believer ſets his fins before his face, but the merciful God cafts them all behind his back, never tobehold them more, fo as to charge them uponhis pardoned people. Andthus you ſee what the pardon of fin is, what the price that purchaseth pardon is, and what riches ofgraceGod inanifeſteth inthe remiffion of a believer's fins ; which were the things tobe explained and opened in the doctrinal part. The improvement ofthe whole you will have in the following uſes.
Infer. 1. If this be fo, that all believers, and nonebut believers, receive the remiſſion of their fins through the riches of grace, by theblood of Christ ; What a happy condition then are belivers in ! Thoſe that never felt the load of fin, may make light of a pardon; but ſo cannot you, that have been in the deeps of trouble and fear about it: thoſe that have beenupon the rackofan accuſing and condemning confcience, as David,
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Heman, andmanyofthe faints havebeen,cannever fufficiently value a pardon. " Bleſſed is the man whoſe tranfgreffion
" is forgiven, whoſe ſin is covered; bleffed is the man unto " whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity," Pfal. xxxii. 1 , 2, or,
Othe bleſſedneſs and felicities of the pardoned man ! as in the Hebrew *. Remiſſioncannot but appear the wonder ofmercies, if we conſider through what difficulties the grace of God makes way for it to our fouls ; what ſtrong bars the love of God breaks afunder, to open our way to this privilege ; for there can be no pardonwithout a Mediator; no otherMediator but the Son ofGod: the Son ofGodcannotdiſcharge ourdebts, but by taking them upon himself as our furety, and making full payment, by bearing the wrath of God for us ; and when all this is done, there can be no actual pardon, except the Spirit of grace open our blind eyes, break our hard hearts, and draw them to Chriſt in the way ofbelieving. And as the mercy of remiffion comes to us through wonderful difficulties, ſo it is in itſelfa complete and perfect mercy: God would not be at ſuch vaſt expence of the riches of his grace : Chriſt would not layout the invaluable treaſures ofhisprecious blood to pro cure a cheap and common bleſſing for us.
Rejoice then, ye pardoned fouls, God hath done great things for you, for which youhave cauſe tobe glad.
Infer. 2.Hence it follows, That interest in Chriſt by faith, brings the conscience ofa believer into astate of rest and peace,
Rom. v. 1. " Beingjuſtified by faith, we have peace withGod."
I ſay not that every believer is preſently brought into actual peace and tranquility of confcience ; there may be many fears, andmuch trouble even in a pardoned foul: but this is an undoubted truth, that faith brings the pardoned foul into thatcondition and ſtate, where he may find perfect reſt inhis conſcience, with respect to the guilt anddanger of fin. The blood ofChriſt ſprinkles us from an evil (that is, an accuſing, condemning) confcience. We are apt to fear, that this or that ſpecial fin, which hath most terrified and affrighted our confciences, is not forgiven: but if there be riches enough in the grace ofGod, and efficacy enough in the bloodof Chriſt, then the fins ofbelievers, all their ſins, great as well as ſmall, one aswell as another, without limitation or exception, are pardoned.
For let usbut confider, IfGod remits no fin to any man, but with refpect to the blood of Chriſt, then all fins are pardoned,
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aswellas anyone fin; becauſe thedignity and defert ofthat blood is infinite, and as much deſerves an univerſal pardon for all ſins, asthe particular pardon ofany,eventhe leaſt ſin: moreover, remiffion is an act ofGod's fatherly love in Chriſt; and if itbeſo, then certainlyno fin ofany believercanbe retainedor excluded from pardon; for then the fame foul ſhouldbe in the favour ofGod, fofar as it is pardoned; and out of favour with God, ſo far as itis unpardoned,and all this at one andthefame inſtant oftime; which is a thing both repugnantto itſelf, and tothewhole ſtrain ofthe gospel, To conclude: What is the deſign and end ofremiffion, but the faving of the pardoned foul ? But if any ſin be retained or excluded from pardon, the retaining of that ſin must needs makevoid the pardon of all other fins ; and ſo the acts ofGod muft croſs and contradict each other, and the deſign and end ofGod milcarry andbe loſt ; which cannever be.
Sothen we conclude, faith brings the believing foul into a ſtate of reſt and peace.
Infer. 3.Henceit alſo follows,Thatno remiffionis to beexpectedbyanyfoul, without interest byfaith in Jesus Chrift : no Christ, nopardon; nofaith, no Chrift. Yethow apt are many poordeluded fouls to expect pardon inthat way, where neverany foul yet did, or ever can meet it.
Some look for pardon from the abſolutemercy ofGod,withoutany regard tothebloodofChrift, or their intereſt therein; we have finned,butGod is merciful,
Some expect remiſſion of finby virtue of their own duties,not Chriſt's merits : I have ſinned, but I will repent, reſtore, reform, andGod will pardon.
Butlittledoſuch men know how they therein diminish the evil of fin, undervalue thejuſtice of God, flight the blood of Chriſt, and put anundoing cheatupon their own fouls for ever. To expect pardonfrom abfolutemercy, or our own duties, is toknock at the wrong door, which God hath ſhut up toall theworld, Rom. iii. 20.
Whilst theſe two principles abide firm, that the price ofpardon is only inthe blood of Chrift, and the benefitof pardon, only by the applicacation of his blood to us ; this muſt remain a fure conclufion, thatno remiffion istobe expectedby any foul, without intereſt by faith in Jeſus Chriſt. Repentance, reſtitution, and reformationare excellentduties in theirkind, and intheirproper places, but they were never meant for ſaviours, or fatisfactions toGod forfin.
Infer. 4. Iftheriches ofgracebethus manifeſted in thepardon of lin, How vile an abuseis it of the grace of God, to take the more liberty tofin, becausegrace abounds in the pardon ofit !
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"Shall we continue in fin,thatgracemayabound? God for- " bid!" Rom. vi. 1, 2.
Will nothing cheaper than the grace ofGod ſerve to make a cloak for fin ? O vile abuſe of the moſt excellent thing inthe whole world ? Did Chriſt ſhedhis blood toexpiate our guilt, anddare we make a plea to extenuate our guilt ? God forbid !
If it be intolerable ingratitude, among men, to requite good with evil, ſure that fin muſtwant a name badenough to expreſs it, which puts the-greateſt diſhonouruponGod, for thegreatest mercy that ever was given by God to the world.
"There is 66 mercywith thee,(faiththe Pfalmiſt), thatthoumayeſt be fear- " ed," not that thou mayeſt be the more abuſed, Pfal. cxxx. 4.
Nay, let me ſay, the devils never finned at this rate; theycannotabuſe the pardoning grace ofGod, becauſe ſuch gracewas never offeredunto them. And certainly,ifthe abuſe ofthecommonmercies ofGod, as meat and drink, by gluttony anddrunkenneſs, be anhenious fin,andhighly provoking toGod; then the abuſe ofthe riches ofhis grace, and the precious blood of his Son, must be out of meaſure ſinful, and thegreatest affront wecan putupontheGod ofmercy.
Infer. 5. To conclude : If this befo, as ever you expect pardon and mercy from God, to come Christ in the way of faith; receive and embrace him now in the tenders ofthe gofpel.
To drive home this great exhortation, I beſeech you, as in thebowels ofChriſt Jeſus, andby all the regard and value you have for your own fouls, let theſe following confiderations fink down intoyour hearts.
First, That all chriſtleſs perſonsare actually underthecondemnation ofGod, John iii. 18. " He that believeth not, is condem.
" ned already: " and it must needs be ſo, for every foul is concludedunderthe curſe ofthe law, tillChriſt makehim free,John viii. 36.
Till we are in Chriſt, we are deadby law ; and when we believe untojuſtification, thenwe passfrom death to life.
Ablind miſtakenconfcience may poſſibly acquityou,but aſſure yourſelves,God condemns you.
Secondly, Confider whataterrible thing itis to lie under the condemnationofGod; the moſt terrible things innature cannot ſhadow forth the miſery offuch a ſtate: put all fickneſſes, all poverty, all reproaches, the torments invented by all tyrants into one fcale, andthe condemnatiou ofGod into the other, and theywillbe all found lighter than a feather.
Condemnation is the fentence ofGod, the great and terribleGod ; it is a fentence huttingyou up to everlastingwrath; it is a fentence never to
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be reverſed, butby the application ofChriſt in the ſeaſon thereof.
O fouls ! you cannot bear the wrath ofGod ; you do not underſtand it, if you think it tolerable : One drop of it upon your confciences now, is enough to diſtract you in the midst of all the pleaſures and comforts of this world : yet allthat are out of Chrift, are ſentenced to the fulness of God's wrath for ever.
Thirdly, There is yet a poſſibility of eſcaping the wrath to come ; a door of hope opened tothe worst offinners; aday of grace is offeredto the children of men, Heb. iii. 15. Goddeclareshimself unwilling that any ſhould periſh, 2 Pet. iii. 9. O what a mercy is this ! Who, that is on this ſide heaven or hell, fully underſtands the worth of it ?
Fourthly, Thedoor of mercy will be ſhortly ſhut, Luke xii.
25. God hath many ways to ſhut it: he ſometimes ſhuts it bywithdrawing the means of grace, and removing the candleSticks ; a judgment at this time to be greatly feared.
Sometimes he ſhuts it, by withdrawing his Spirit and bleſſingfrom the means, whereby all ordinances loſe their efficacy, 1 Cor. iii.
7. But if he ſhut it not byremoving the means ofgracefrom you, certain it is, it willbe ſhortly ſhut by your removal from all the means and opportunities of falvationby death .
Fifthly, When once the door of mercy is ſhut, you are gone beyondall the poſſibilities of pardon and ſalvationforevermore.
Thenight is then come, in which no man can work, John ix. 4.
Allthegolden ſeaſons,younow enjoy, willbe irrecoverably gone out ofyour reach.
Sixthly, Pardons arenow daily granted to others : fome (and they once as far from mercy as you now are), are at this day reading their pardons with tears of joy dropping from them.
The world is full ofthe examples and inſtancesof the riches of pardoning grace. And whatever is needful foryou to do in the way ofrepentance and faith to obtain your pardon, how eafily ſhall it bedone, ifonce theday ofGod's powercome upon you ?
Pfal. cx. 3. O therefore, lift up your cries to heaven, give the Lord no reſt, takenodenial till heopen theblindeye, break the ſtonyheart, open and bow the ſtubborn will, effectually draw thy foul to Chrift, and deliverthypardon figned in his blood.