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AS God the Father hath vouchsafed us that un∣speakeable comfort and ho∣nour to be our Father, so the Sonne yeeldeth us no lesse, in that hee undertakes to bee the Saviour of all the faithfull; and not in part, but an entire and perfect Saviour from all evill. For evill may be consi∣dered either in the roote, or fruit of it; and our Saviour hath utterly abolished both
for us. The greatest evill, and the very root of all other is sinne: and the fruit of sinne is principally (as including al the rest) the wrath of God and death. Now our Lord saves his people (first) from sinne, in being a perfect sacrifice (Heb. 10. 14) and consequently, a propitiation for all their sinnes; I Ioh. 2.2. Secondly, he deli∣vers his people from wrath, and the curse, by bearing the curse and wrath for them. In a word he hath redeemed the faithful from all enemies of body & soule. See, Luke 1. 71. 74. Death, Sinne, and the curse of the Law, hee hath swallowed up into victorie, 1 Cor. 15. 55, 56,57.
objection: How hath Christ delivered mee from sinne, when I still finde this cursed law of my members rebelling against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sinne? How am I delivered from death, when nothing is more sure to me than death, & I dye daily? Ans. First, observe that the Apostle (who in the person of the faithful uttereth those words) was even then devered frō sin by Christ, and gives thanks in the words in∣stantly following for his deli∣verance. Hence it is apparent, that even thē whē sin rebelleth in us, nay, by strong hand car∣rieth us captive, wee are deli∣vered from it; delivered first from the usurping power, and dominion of it, where∣by
we were enslaved, and ser∣ved it with greediness••; and a∣gaine, from the guilt of it; It shall not bee imputed or ac∣counted to us: but wee recon∣ciled to God, 2 Cor. 5.19. In∣somuch that where the Apo∣stle confesseth plainly his sins both of omission and commis∣sion, yet in this regard hee dares confidently, and doth truly affirme, It is no more I that doe it, but sinne that dwelleth in me. Sinne in the faithfull, is as sicknesse in the body, get∣ting up now againe, and ha∣ving overcome, yet not whol∣ly freed from al incombrance of the disease. Now as when our children, through bodily distemper, and sickly weake∣nesse, cannot doe what they desire, and endevour to doe,
and doe some things which they hate themselves, and are to us offeusive, we impute to them neither their omissions or commissions: so dealeth God with his children.
Secondly, as the Lord by Jesus (the Sonne of Nun) brought in his people into the land of Canaan, and trod all their enemies under their feet•• yet left some of the Ca∣••anites among them for di∣vers ends: So is i•• with us; (For all that story of Israels passage from Egypt to the land of rest, is but as a type, or picture of Gods dealing with all his Saints;) The Lord our God hath given us the true Jesus to lead us into pos∣session of that heavenly Canaan our eternall life, and kingdom
of glory. Now hee hath al∣ready entred us into that eter∣nall life (for hee that beleeveth hath eternall life.) and taken, and holds possession of glory for us. (For in him wee alreadie sit in heavenly places.) He hath conquered our enemies, and led them in shew & triumph, yet for some ends hath left some of these enemies; and hath) not yet fully destroyed them.
And as among that people some of those Ganaanits were reserved as enemies, some as servants; the former to prove Israel, whether they would hearken to the Commandements of the Lord, and to teach them warre: the other to helpe them in some workes, as the G••beonites (Iosh. 9.21.27.)
so hath the Lord in the faith∣full, left some of these inha∣bitants of our corrupt nature, as well to teach us spirituall warfare, as to prove us whe∣ther wee will cleave to him: and hence is it, that hee fra∣meth for us, and giveth us spi∣rituall armour, and comman∣deth us to exercise our selves in it. (And such are all our ••infull corruptions and re∣bellions:) as some also to serve us, to doe some good office for us: and such is death, which is to us, as those servants to the Prodigall, ap∣pointed by our Lord and Fa∣ther to pull off our ragges, that wee may be clothed up∣on; and as those who tooke from Iehoshuah his filthie garments, and set a
faire Diadem upon him: As Ha∣man to Mordecai, who (against his will) clothed him with royall appa••ell, set the Crowne-royall on his head, and brought him into the presence of the great King.
Now then looke as it was with those Israelites, and the fi∣erie Serpents, when God had, by the sight of the Brazen Serpent, cured them of their wounds and bitings, especial∣ly if withall hee had pulled out their stings, they might be truly said to bee perfectly saved from those Serpents, al∣though they were yet among them, and did many wayes annoy and encumber them•• So, when the Lord hath not onely cancelled our sinne, and healed those poysonous bi∣tings of it, but taken out the
sting also of it, that it shall not be able to kill, we are said tru∣ly to bee saved, and delivered already from sinne and death; which still are enemies, but not able to effect their malice, or doe any evill to us, which Christ hath not, or will not tnrne to our eternall good and happinesse.
Surely then this truth, that the Sonne of God blessed for ever is our Saviour, is a privi∣lege wonderfull; especially if wee consider the manner how he wrought salvation for us. Looke then first to his Incarnation, wherein he fitted himselfe for our redemption; then to his passions and exal∣tation, whereby he hath p••r∣fected our happinesse, and we shall finde unspeakeable con∣solations
in every one of them.
First, there is no Creature can boast of so glorious a prerogative, as a fai••hfull man; that God refusing the nature of Angels, hath ta∣ken our nature into him, and become man l••ke us in all things: covered, and trou∣bled with the same infirmi∣ties, that from the sense of them in himselfe, hee might more compassionately inter∣cede for us, more effectually and speedily helpe us. The Word was made flesh, Ioh. 1.14. of the seede of Abraham, Heb. 2. 16. and of David, Rom. 1. 3. conceived in the wombe of a Virgine, and borne by her. Thus hee became one with us; Flesh of our flesh, and bone
of our bone: so nearely was this our nature united to him, that as body and soule make up one man, so God and man make one Christ; that as the Word is sayed to bee flesh, so the blood of that flesh is called The Bloud of God.
Secondly, in this our flesh hee gave full satisfacti∣on to the Justice of God, by suffering in that nature, in which God was offended.
This Prince of our salvati∣on was consecrate through af∣flictions. Hee gave his backe to the smiters, his cheekes to the nippers, he held not his face from shame and spitting.
Hee was attached, bound, accursed, and condemned as an offender, in whose mouth there
was no guile, by the same Iudg, who knew and confessed him∣selfe innocent: he was rejected by the heathen, by his owne people, abused, mocked, and scorned by all sorts, nayled to the Crosse, there dyed, and af∣ter buried; and not onely swamme through his owne bloud, but waded through the fiery streame of Gods wrath for us. Oh then, if he hath lo∣ved us to his death, how much more will hee love us to our life? Will the Lord after all his sufferings lose the soule for which he suffered? Or can he, who thus loved us, being then enemies, that hee chose to beare off the wrath of God for us, by drawing it on him∣selfe, suffer any part of that wrath to fall upon us, now
that hee hath redeemed us to himselfe, killed the enmitie, and drawne our hearts to thirst, longue, and pine for him and his righteousnesse.
Thirdly, that he might per∣fect us, as hee dyed for our sinnes, so he rose againe for our justification: ascended into hea∣ven, and having received all power and authority, sitteth at the right hand of God, a continual Intercessour for us: and shall thence descend with the shout of an Angell, and the trumpet of God, to raise, quicken a••d receive us to glorie. I cannot but here, therefore, insert that sweet meditation of holy Au∣gustine in Psal. 148.
From his heavenly Countrey hee brought all good things unto us, and in our Countrey endured
all our evils; yet promised us, that wee should be there, from whence he came, and said, I will that where I am, they may be al∣so with me. So wonderfull was his love, that because hee was with u•• in our habitations, wee should be with him in his Man∣sions. Oh mortall man, what hath he promised thee that thou shalt live for ever; And dost thou not beleeve him? Beleeve, beleeve.
It is more that hee hath alrea∣die done, then that which hee hath promised. What hath hee done? hee died for thee. What hath hee promised? that thou should'st live with him. It is more incredible, that the Eter∣nall should once dye, then that a mortall should live for e∣ver.
Now wee hold fast what is harder to beleeve. If God dy∣ed for man, shall not man live with God? Shall not a mortall live aeternally, for whom hee dyed, who liveth aeter∣nally?
Verily, the afflictions of this life are so farre from being worthy of the glory which is purchased for us in the life to come, that rather they are nothing to those comforta∣ble, nay glorious privileges, which wee presently enjoy: For what can any earthly mi∣sery, (which at the furthest proceedeth to a temporall death) shew comparable with this union with God, and glorious fellowship with the Father through Christ? Wee are united to God by affinity,
by a spirituall, and therefore indissoluble bond of marri∣age: he hath married our na∣ture, nay, our persons: hath set his owne image on us, & given us his, even the divine na∣ture: and so as he is our flesh, so we flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone. We are united to him by a spirituall consanguinity; to the Father, as our father, (Ioh. 20.17.) to the Sonne, as our brother; Heb. 2.11. nay, as members to the Head, Eph. 5. 30. And because all flesh∣ly and mixt union is no way comparable to that simple u∣nion of Spirits, We are one Spi∣rit with him, 1 Cor. 6.17. that as there is no union like that of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the God-head, so wee also should be united spi∣ritually
to our God, That as the Father is in Christ, and Christ in the Father, so wee may bee one in them.
Goe to now; Let all the world conspire against us, to load our harts with affliction: let sinfull flesh joyne with the world, and all the infernal spi∣rits with both, if thou hast ta∣sted this cordiall, if ever thou hast truly relished the sweet∣nesse of the Lord Jesus, (the strength of thy heart) all they shall effect is but this; somewhat the sooner, and clo∣ser to knit thy soule unto God in Christ, and by with-draw∣ing earthly & sensuall, to heap upon thee spirituall and eter∣nall comforts.
Mat. 1.21.
1 The. 1.10
Gal. 3.13.
Obiect.
Rom, 7.23
Answ.
Rom. 6.14.
Rom. 7.19, 20.
Ioh. 5.24.
Eph•• ••.••.
Iudg. 3. 1, 2,3,4.
Eph. 6.11. &c.
Luk. 15.2
2 Cor. 5.••.
Zech. 3.4.••
Este•• 6. 8. 11.
1 Cor. 15. 56,57,
H••b ••. 16, 17, 18.
Luk. 1. 31.
Act. 20.28
Heb. 2.10••
Esa•• 50.6.
Rom. 4.25
Rom. 8.34.
Heb. 7.25.
Eph•• 5.30.
Ioh. 17.21