7. The Father"s grace saveth us by multiplying pardons to us, for Christ"s sake, day by day--"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Eph 1:7).
8. The Father"s grace saves us by exercising patience and forbearance towards us all the time of our unregeneracy (Rom 3:24).
9. The Father"s grace saveth us by holding of us fast in his hand, and by keeping of us from all the power of the enemy--"My Father,"
said Christ, "that gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father"s hand" (John 10:29).
10. What shall I say? The Father"s grace saveth us by accepting of our persons and services, by lifting up the light of his countenance upon us, by manifesting of his love unto us, and by sending of his angels to fetch us to himself, when we have finished our pilgrimage in this world.
Of the grace of the Son.
SECOND. I come now to speak of the grace of the Son; for as the Father putteth forth his grace in the saving of the sinner, so doth the Son put forth his--"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor 8:9).
Here you see also that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is brought in as a partner with the grace of his Father in the salvation of our souls. Now this is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; he was rich, but for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.
To inquire, then, into this grace, this condescending grace of Christ, and that by searching out how rich Jesus Christ was, and then how poor he made himself, that we through his poverty might have the riches of salvation.
First. How rich was Jesus Christ? To which I answer--1. Generally; 2. Particularly.
1. Generally. He was rich as the Father--"All things that the Father hath," saith he, "are mine." Jesus Christ is the Lord of all, G.o.d over all, blessed for ever. "He thought it not robbery to be equal with G.o.d," being naturally and eternally G.o.d, as the Father, but of his G.o.dhead he could not strip himself (John 10:30; 16:15; Acts 10:36; Phil 2:6; Rom 9:4,5).
2. Particularly. Jesus Christ had glory with the Father; yea, a manifold glory with him, which he stripped himself of.
(1.) He had the glory of dominion, he was Lord of all the creatures; they were under him upon a double account--(a) as he was their Creator (Col 1:16); (b) as he was made the heir of G.o.d (Heb 1:2).
(2.) Therefore the glory of worship, reverence, and fear from all creatures, was due unto him; the worship, obedience, subjection, and service of angels were due unto him; the fear, honour, and glory of kings, and princes, and judges of the earth were due unto him; the obedience of the sun, moon, stars, clouds, and all vapours, were due unto him; all dragons, deeps, fire, hail, snow, mountains and hills, beasts, cattle, creeping things, and flying fowls, the service of them all, and their worship, were due unto him (Psa 148).
(3.) The glory of the heavens themselves was due unto him; in a word, heaven and earth were his.
(4.) But above all, the glory of communion with his Father was his; I say, the glory of that unspeakable communion that he had with the Father before his incarnation, which alone was worth ten thousand worlds, that was ever his.
(5.) But again; as Jesus Christ was possessed with this, so, besides, he was Lord of life; this glory also was Jesus Christ"s: "In him was life," therefore he is called the Prince of it; because it was in him originally as in the Father (Acts 3:15). He gave to all life and breath, and all things; angels, men, beasts, they had all their life from him.
(6.) Again, as he was Lord of glory, and Prince of life, so he was also Prince of peace, (Isa 9:6); and by him was maintained that harmony and goodly order which were among things in heaven and things on earth.
Take things briefly in these few particulars--(a.) The heavens were his, and he made them. (b.) Angels were his, and he made them. (c.) The earth was his, and he made it. (d.) Man was his, and he made him.
[Second. How poor he made himself.] Now this heaven he forsook for our sakes--"He came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim 1:15).
[1.] He was made lower than the angels, for the suffering of death (Heb 2:9). When he was born, he made himself, as he saith, a worm, or one of no reputation; he became the reproach and byword of the people; he was born in a stable, laid in a manger, earned his bread with his labour, being by trade a carpenter (Psa 22:6; Phil 2:7; Luke 2:7; Mark 6:3). When he betook himself to his ministry, he lived upon the charity of the people; when other men went to their own houses, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Hark what himself saith for the clearing of this--"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." He denied himself of this world"s good (Luke 8:2,3; 9:58; John 7:35; 8:1).
[2.] Again, as he was Prince of life, so he for our sakes laid down that also; for so stood the matter, that he or we must die; but the grace that was in his heart wrought with him to lay down his life: "He gave his life a ransom for many." He laid down his life that we might have life; he gave his flesh and blood for the life of the world; he laid down his life for his sheep.
[3.] Again; he was Prince of peace, but he forsook his peace also.
(1.) He laid aside peace with the world, and chose upon that account to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and therefore was persecuted from his cradle to his cross, by kings, rulers, &c.
(2.) He laid aside his peace with his Father, and made himself the object of his Father"s curse, insomuch that the Lord smote, struck, and afflicted him; and, in conclusion, hid his face from him (as he expressed, with great crying) at the hour of his death.
[Object.] But perhaps some may say, What need was there that Jesus Christ should do all this? Could not the grace of the Father save us without this condescension of the Son?
Answ. As there is grace, so there is justice in G.o.d; and man having sinned, G.o.d concluded to save him in a way of righteousness; therefore it was absolutely necessary that Jesus Christ should put himself into our very condition, sin only excepted. 1. Now by sin we had lost the glory of G.o.d, therefore Jesus Christ lays aside the glory that he had with the Father (Rom 3:23; John 17:5). 2. Man by sin had shut himself out of an earthly paradise, and Jesus Christ will leave his heavenly paradise to save him (Gen 3:24; 1 Tim 1:15; John 6:38,39). 3. Man by sin had made himself lighter than vanity, and this Lord G.o.d, Jesus Christ, made himself lower than the angels to redeem him (Isa 40:17; Heb 2:7). 4. Man by sin lost his right to the creatures, and Jesus Christ will deny himself of a whole world to save him (Luke 9:58). 5. Man by sin had made himself subject to death; but Jesus Christ will lose his life to save him (Rom 6:23).
6. Man by sin had procured to himself the curse of G.o.d; but Jesus Christ will bear that curse in his own body to save him (Gal 3:13).
7. Man by sin had lost peace with G.o.d; but this would Jesus Christ lose also, to the end man might be saved. 8. Man should have been mocked of G.o.d, therefore Christ was mocked of men. 9. Man should have been scourged in h.e.l.l; but, to hinder that, Jesus was scourged on earth. 10. Man should have been crowned with ignominy and shame; but, to prevent that, Jesus was crowned with thorns. 11. Man should have been pierced with the spear of G.o.d"s wrath; but, to prevent that, Jesus was pierced both by G.o.d and men. 12. Man should have been rejected of G.o.d and angels; but, to prevent that, Jesus was forsaken of G.o.d, and denied, hated, and rejected of men (Isa 48:22; Prov 1:24-26; Matt 27:26,39,46; Psa 9:17; 11:6; 22:7; Dan 12:2; John 19:2-5,37; Num 24:8; Zech 12:10; Luke 9:22).
I might thus enlarge, and that by authority from this text--"He became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." All the riches he stripped himself of, it was for our sakes; all the sorrows he underwent, it was for our sakes; to the least circ.u.mstance of the sufferings of Christ there was necessity that so it should be, all was for our sakes: "For our sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."
And you see the argument that prevailed with Christ to do this great service for man, the grace that was in his heart; as also the prophet saith, "In his love and in his pity he redeemed them."
According to this in the Corinthians, "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ"; both which agree with the text, "By grace ye are saved."
I say, this was the grace of the Son, and the exercise thereof. The Father therefore shows his grace one way, and the Son his another.
It was not the Father, but the Son, that left his heaven for sinners; it was not the Father, but the Son, that spilt his blood for sinners. The Father indeed gave the Son, and blessed be the Father for that; and the Son gave his life and blood for us, and blessed be the Son for that.
But methinks we should not yet have done with this grace of the Son. Thou Son of the Blessed, what grace was manifest in thy condescension! Grace brought thee down from heaven, grace stripped thee of thy glory, grace made thee poor and despicable, grace made thee bear such burdens of sin, such burdens of sorrow, such burdens of G.o.d"s curse as are unspeakable. O Son of G.o.d! grace was in all thy tears, grace came bubbling out of thy side with thy blood, grace came forth with every word of thy sweet mouth (Psa 45:2; Luke 4:22). Grace came out where the whip smote thee, where the thorns p.r.i.c.ked thee, where the nails and spear pierced thee. O blessed Son of G.o.d! Here is grace indeed! Unsearchable riches of grace!
Unthought-of riches of grace! Grace to make angels wonder, grace to make sinners happy, grace to astonish devils. And what will become of them that trample under foot this Son of G.o.d?
Of the grace of the Spirit. THIRD. I come now to speak of the grace of the Spirit; for he also saveth us by his grace. The Spirit, I told you, is G.o.d, as the Father and the Son, and is therefore also the author of grace; yea, and it is absolutely necessary that he put forth his grace also, or else no flesh can be saved. The Spirit of G.o.d hath his hand in saving of us many ways; for they that go to heaven, as they must be beholding to the Father and the Son, so also to the Spirit of G.o.d. The Father chooseth us, giveth us to Christ, and heaven to us, and the like. The Son fulfills the law for us, takes the curse of the law from us, bears in his own body our sorrows, and sets us justified in the sight of G.o.d. The Father"s grace is showed in heaven and earth; the Son"s grace is showed on the earth, and on the cross; and the Spirit"s grace must be showed in our souls and bodies, before we come to heaven.
Quest. But some may say, Wherein doth the saving grace of the Spirit appear?
Answ. In many things.
In taking possession of us for his own, in his making of us his house and habitation, so that though the Father and the Son have both gloriously put forth gracious acts in order to our salvation, yet the Spirit is the first that makes seizure of us (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Eph 2:21,22). Christ, therefore, when he went away, said not that he would send the Father, but the Spirit, and that he should be in us for ever--"If I depart," said Christ, "I will send him, the Spirit of truth, the Comforter" (John 14:16; 16:7,13).
The Holy Spirit coming into us, and dwelling in us, worketh out many salvations for us now, and each of them in order also to our being saved for ever.
1. He saveth us from our darkness by illuminating of us; hence he is called "the Spirit of revelation," because he openeth the blind eyes, and so consequently delivereth us from that darkness which else would drown us in the deeps of h.e.l.l (Eph 1:17,19).
2. He it is that convinceth us of the evil of our unbelief, and that shows us the necessity of our believing in Christ; without the conviction of this we should perish (John 16:9).
3. This is that finger of G.o.d by which the devil is made to give place unto grace, by whose power else we should be carried headlong to h.e.l.l (Luke 11:20-22).
4. This is he that worketh faith in our hearts, without which neither the grace of the Father nor the grace of the Son can save us, "For he that believeth not, shall be d.a.m.ned" (Mark 16:16; Rom 15:13).
5. This is he by whom we are born again; and he that is not so born can neither see nor inherit the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3-7).
6. This is he that setteth up his kingdom in the heart, and by that means keepeth out the devil after he is cast out, which kingdom of the Spirit, whoever wanteth, they lie liable to a worse possession of the devil than ever (Matt 12:43-45; Luke 11:24,25).
7. By this Spirit we come to see the beauty of Christ, without a sight of which we should never desire him, but should certainly live in the neglect of him, and perish (John 16:14; 1 Cor 2:9-13; Isa 53:1,2).
8. By this Spirit we are helped to praise G.o.d acceptably, but without it, it is impossible to be heard unto salvation (Rom 8:26; Eph 6:18; 1 Cor 14:15).
9. By this blessed Spirit the love of G.o.d is shed abroad in our hearts, and our hearts are directed into the love of G.o.d (Rom 5:5; 2 Thess 2:13).
10. By this blessed Spirit we are led from the ways of the flesh into the ways of life, and by it our mortal body, as well as our immortal soul, is quickened in the service of G.o.d (Gal 5:18,25; Rom 8:11).
11. By this good Spirit we keep that good thing, even the seed of G.o.d, that at the first by the Word of G.o.d was infused into us, and without which we are liable to the worst d.a.m.nation (1 John 3:9; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Tim 1:14).
12. By this good Spirit we have help and light against all the wisdom and cunning of the world, which putteth forth itself in its most cursed sophistications to overthrow the simplicity that is in Christ (Matt 10:19,20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11,12).
13. By this good Spirit our graces are maintained in life and vigour, as faith, hope, love, a spirit of prayer, and every grace (2 Cor 4:13; Rom 15:13; 2 Tim 1:7; Eph 6:18; t.i.tus 3:5).