THE SECOND USE.
[SECOND.] But as this doctrine gives us the best discovery of God, it also gives us the best discovery of ourselves and our own things.
First, it gives us the best discovery of ourselves. Wouldst thou know, sinner, what thou art? Look up to the cross, and behold a weeping, bleeding, dying Jesus: nothing could do but that, nothing could save thee but his blood; angels could not, saints could not, God could not, because he could not lie, because he could not deny himself. What a thing is sin, that it should sink all that bear its burden! Yea, it plunged the Son of God himself into death and the grave and had also sunk him into hell-fire forever had he not been the Son of God, had he not been able to take it on his back and bear it away! O, this Lamb of God! Sinners were going to hell, Christ was the delight of his Father and had a whole heaven to himself, but that did not content him; heaven could not hold him; he must come into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). Aye, and had he not come, thy sins had sunk thee, thy sins had provoked the wrath of God against thee, to thy perdition and destruction forever. There is no man but is a sinner; there is no sin but would damn an angel, should God lay it to his charge. Sinner, the doctrine of Christ crucified cried therefore aloud unto thee, that sin hath made thy condition dreadful. See yourselves, your sin, and consequently the condition that your souls are in, by the death and blood of Christ; Christ's death giveth us the most clear discovery of the dreadful nature of our sins. I say again if sin be so dreadful a thing as to break the heart of the Son of God, for so he said it did, how shall a poor, wretched, impenitent, damned sinner wrestle with the wrath of God? Awake, sinners; you are lost, you are undone, you are damned, hell-fire is your portion forever if you abide in your sins and be found without a Saviour in the dreadful day of judgment.
Second. Your good deeds cannot help you; the blood of Christ tells you so. For by this doctrine, 'Christ died for our sins,' God damned to death and hell the righteousness of the world. Christ must die, or man be damned. Where is now any room for the righteousness of men? I say room for man's righteousness as to his acceptance and justification? Bring, then, thy righteousness to the cross of Jesus Christ, and in his blood behold the demands of justice; behold them, I say, in the cries and tears, in the blood and death of Jesus Christ. Look again and behold the person dying; such a one as never sinned nor offended at any time, yet he dies. Could a holy life, an innocent, harmless conversation, have saved one from death if Jesus had not died. But he must die; sin was charged; therefore, Christ must die.
Men, therefore, need to go no further to prove the worth of their own righteousness than to the death of Christ; they need not be waiting to seek in that matter till they stand before the judgment seat.
Quest. But how should I prove [or try] the goodness of mine own righteousness by the death and blood of Christ?
Answ. Thus, if Christ must die for sin, then all thy righteousness cannot save thee. 'If righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain' (Gal 2:21). By this text, it is manifest that either Christ died in vain, or thy righteousness is vain. If thy righteousness can save thee, then Christ died in vain; if nothing below or besides the death of Christ could save thee, then thy righteousness is in vain; one of the two must be cast away, either Christ's or thine. Christ was crucified to save the world and discovered two great evils in man's own righteousness; I mean, when brought for justification and life. 1. It opposed the righteousness of Christ. 2. It condemns God of foolishness.
1. It opposed the righteousness of Christ in that it seeks itself to stand where should the righteousness of Christ—to wit, in God's affection for the justification of thy person, and this is one of the highest affronts to Christ that poor man is capable to give him: right worthily, therefore, doth the doctrine of the gospel damn the righteousness of men, and promise the kingdom of God to publicans and harlots rather.
2. It condemned God of foolishness; for if works of righteousness which we can do can justify from the curse of the law in the sight of God, then are not all the treasures of wisdom found in the heart of God and Christ; for this dolt-headed sinner hath now found out a way of his own, unawares to God, to secure his soul from wrath and vengeance; I say, unawares to God, for he never imagined that such a thing could be; for had he, he would never have purposed before the world began to send his Son to die for sinners. Christ is the wisdom of God, as you have heard, and that is our justifying righteousness. God was manifest in the flesh to save us, which is the great mystery of godliness. But wherein lieth the depth of this wisdom of God in our salvation, if man's righteousness can save him? (Job 40:10-14).
Yea, wherefore has God also given it out that there is no other name given to men under heaven whereby we must be saved? I say again, why is it affirmed that 'without shedding of blood is no remission' if man's good deeds can save him?
This doctrine, therefore, of the righteousness of Christ being rightly preached and truly believed, arraigned, and condemned man's righteousness to hell; it cast it out as Abraham cast out Ishmael. Blood, blood, the sound of blood, abased all the glory of it! When men have said all and showed us what they can, they have no blood to present God's justice with, yet it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul, and nothing but blood can wash away from us our sins (Lev 17:11; Rev 1:5; Heb 9).
Justice calls for blood, sins call for blood, the righteous law calls for blood, and the devil himself must be overcome by blood. Sinner, where is now thy righteousness? Bring it before a consuming fire, for our God is a consuming fire; bring it before the justice of the law; yea, try if aught, but the blood of Christ can save thee from thy sins, and devils; try it, I say, by this doctrine; go not one step further before thou hast tried it.
Third. By this doctrine, we are made to see the worth of souls. It cannot be but that the soul is of wonderful price, when the Son of God will not stick to spill his blood for it. O sinners, you that will venture your souls for a bit of pleasure, surely you know not the worth of your souls. If you would know what your souls are worth and the price God sets them at, read that price by the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ was spilled to save souls. 'For ye are bought with a price,' and that price is none other than the blood of Christ; 'therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which is God's (1 Cor 6:20). Sinners, you have souls, can you behold a crucified Christ, and not bleed, and not mourn, and not fall in love with him?
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