Fourthly, His death for us was foretold by the prophets, Dan. ix. 26. " The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself:'1 Isa. liii. 5. " He was wounded for our transgressions." And so he was, John xi. 50. The very kind and manner of his death was pre- figured in the brazen serpent,, his type ; and answered in his death upon the cross, John hi. 14.
Fifthly, His burial in the tomb of a rich man was foretold, Isa. liii. 9- and accomplished most exactly, Matth. xxvii. 59, 60.
Sixthly, His resurrection from the dead was typed out in Jonah, and fulfilled in Christ's abode three days and nights in the grave, Matth. xii. 49-
Seventhly, The wonderful spreading of the gospel in the world, even to the Isles of the Gentiles, was prophesied of, Isa. xlix. 6. to the truth whereof we are not only the witnesses, but the happy instances and examples of it. Thus the promised mercy was per- formed.
Inference 1. If Christ be the mercy of mercies, the medium of conveying all other mercies from God to men ; then in vain do men expect and hope for mercy of God out of Jesus Christ.
I know many poor sinners comfort themselves with this, when they come upon a bed of sickness ; I am sinful, but God is merci- ful: and it is very true God is merciful; plenteous in mercy ; his mercy is great above the heavens ; mercy pleaseth him ; and all this they that are in Christ shall find experimentally, to their com- fort and salvation. But what is all this to thee, if thou art Christ- less ? There is not one drop of saving mercy that comes in any other channel than Christ to the soul of any man.
But must I then expect no mercy out of Christ ? This is a hard case, very uncomfortable doctrine. Yes, thou mayest be a Christ- ies, and covenantless soul, and yet have variety of temporal mer- cies, as Ishmael had, Gen. xvii. 20, 21. God "may give thee the fatness of the earth, riches, honours, pleasures, a numerous and prosperous posterity ; will that content thee ? Yes, yes, if I may haw heaven too : No, neither heaven, nor pardon, nor any other spiritual or eternal mercy may be expected out of Christ, Jude,
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ver. 21. O deceive not yourselves in this point ; there are two bars betwixt you and all spiritual mercies, viz. the guilt of sin, and the filth of sin ; and nothing but your own union with Christ can remove these, and so open the passage for spiritual mercies to your souls.
Why, but I will repent of sin, strive to obey the commands of God, make restitution for the wrongs I have done, Gry to God for mercy, bind my soul with vows and strong resolutions against sin for time to come : will not all this lay a ground- work for hope of mercy to my soul ? No, this will not, this cannot do.
First, All your sorrows, tears and mournings for sin cannot ob- tain mercy ; could you shed as many tears for any sin that ever you committed, as all the children of Adam have shed upon any ac- count whatsoever, since the creation of the world ; they will not purchase the pardon of that one sin ; for the law accepts no short payment; it requires plenary satisfaction, and will not discharge any soul without it ; nor can it acknowledge or own your souls to be such. The repentance of a soul finds, through Christ, accep- tance with God, but out of him it is nothing.
Secondly, All your strivings to obey the commands of God, and live more strictly for time to come, will not obtain mercy. Matth, v. 20. " Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness " of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the " kingdom of heaven.''
Thirdly, Your restitution, and reparation of wrongs you have done, cannot obtain mercy. Judas restored, and yet was damned. Man is repaired, but God is not. Remission is the act of God, it is he must loose your consciences from the bond of guilt, or they can never be loosed.
Fourthly, All your cries to God for mercy will not prevail for mercy, if you be out of Christ, Matth. vii. 22. Job xxvii. 29. A righteous judge will not reverse the just sentence of the law, though the prisoner at the bar fall upon his knees, and cry, Mercy, mercy.
Fifthly, Your vows and engagements to God for time to come cannot obtain mercy ; for they being made in your own strength, it is impossible you should keep them ; and if you could, yet it is impossible they should obtain remission and mercy : should you never sin more for time to come, yet how shall God be satisfied for sins past ? Justice must have satisfaction, or you can never have remission, Rom. iii. 25, 26. and no work wrought by man can satisfy divine justice ; nor is the satisfaction of Christ made over to any for their discharge, but to such only as are in him : therefore never expect mercy out of Christ.
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Inf. 2. Is Christ, the mercy of mercies, greater, better, and more necessary than all other mercies : then let no inferior mercy satisfy you for your portion.
God hath mercies of all sorts to give, but Christ is the chief, the prime mercy of all mercies ; O be not satisfied without that mercy. When * Luther had a rich present sent him, " he protested God " should not put him off so ;* and David was of the same mind, Psal. xvii. 14. If the Lord should give any of you the desires of your hearts in the good things of this life, let not that satisfy you, whilst you are Christless. For,
First, What is there in these earthly enjoyments, whereof the vilest men have not a greater fulness than you ? Job xxi. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Psal. xvii. 10. and Ixxiii. 3, 12.
Secondly, What comfort can all these things give to a soul al- ready condemned as thou art ; John iii. 18.
Thirdly, What sweetness can be in them, whilst they are all un- sanctified things to you ? enjoyments and sanctification are two distinct things, Psal. xxxvii. 16. Prov. x. 22. Thousands of un- sanctified enjoyments will not yield your souls one drop of solid spiritual comfort.
Fourthly, What pleasure can you take in these things, of which death must shortly strip you naked ? You must die, you must die ; and whose then shall all those things be, for which you have laboured ? Be not so fond, to think of leaving a great name behind you : it is but a poor felicity (as Chrysostom well observes) to be tormented where thou art, and praised where thou art not f : the sweeter your portion hath been on earth, the more intolerable will your condition be in hell ; yea, these earthly delights do not only increase the torments of the damned, but also prepare (as they are instruments of sin) the souls of men for damnation, Prov. i. 32. " Surely the prosperity of fools shall destroy them." Be restless, therefore, till Christ, the mercy of mercies, be the root and foun- tain, yielding and sanctifying all other mercies to you.