of meditations objects Wee meditate to know God and contemplate to love him To contemplate on the things above is pleasant to those who have tasted of the sweetnesse of it The contemplation of Gods free love and the soules interest in it doth much revive raise and enlarge the soule Divine contemplation makes us high in thoughts and rich in expectation Conversation A disordered conversation doth hinder spirituallnesse in holy duties and causeth trouble and sadnesse Commands The command of God is the most powerfullest thing in the world to a Saint There is not any of the commands of God needlesse If men did know the Majesty and Authority and infinitenesse of God no man neither would nor could doe what he forbids or neglect his command Many when convinced of a duty consult with flesh and bloud whether they had best to obey God or no. Deadnesse Deadnesse of heart argueth disaffection Deadnesse of heart is the grave of many good gifts Deadnesse of heart is an enemy to action One cause of our deadnesse and dulnesse in the things of God is unbeliefe and consulting with flesh and bloud Spirituall deadnesse is a great griefe to a childe of God When we are dead and dull the meditation of the love of God will revive us Delayes in good things Delayes be dangerous by delayes many a good motion dyeth and comes to nothing Delayes arise from sloath Delayes coole us and cause the affections to fall downe The more we delay the more we may When we are to doe good Satan cryeth hereafter and that is never to morrow to morrow cosens many a man By delaying we presume upon that we have not and neglect that we have Declining It is easie to decline in good things A declining heart will catcâ— at that which may plead for declining Even Gods own people are subject to decline from him Difficulties Difficulties are discouragements and handsome excuses are welcome to a sloathfull heart Love will carry on through all difficulties and all manner of torments Distractions Multitude of businesse causeth distraction especially when there wants a wise ordering and dispatch of them Distraction of minde in duties is either from a minding other things or resting upon our own strength or in not seriously setting our minds on the things propounded by us for on that the heart is throughly set upon it 's so attentive to it that on that instant it can be present at no other thing especially to hinder the thing in hand Of doubts and discouragemâ—nts It 's the nature of sin to raise doubts in the soule There is no good got but discouragements Ignorance is the cause of doubts and discouragements So much discouragements we admit of so much sight and comfort we loose in our life and happinesse Discontents A small matter occasioneth discontent All our discontents arise from disappointment frustration of expectation is the ground of vexation There is no man that is without discontents It 's folly and madnesse to be discontent at trifles There is the most difference between them that are one and most alike Disposition It 's the disposition of a wretch to be cruell A milde and loving disposition is amiable and desireable Duties A dead man lives upon duties It 's no wonder the Papists doe as they doe because they expect heaven for it The more a Saint doth for God the more he enjoyes God A Saints desire is to doe all for God A meanes not to sin is not to omit duties A man may do duties from convincement of understanding and not from a principle of life and love Such duties as flow not from faith and love are slavish Many will own and confesse their dutie in generall and wholy deny it in particular especially when it concernes them When a childe of God hath performed duties best immediately he is tempted by the Devill and his own heart To be streightned in a duty may doe us more good then if we had been much enlarged in it Of selfe-deniall So farre as we are spirituall or live by faith so much we deny our selves Selfe is content to be a little denied in one kinde to be pleased much in another Unlesse a man can deny himselfe in his will honour credit state relations wife life he cannot follow the profession of Christ There are but few that deny themselves but many deny Christ and his truth Such as cannot deny themselves cannot endure the troubles and indignities of an angry world They live the sweetest lives that most deny themselves If we could deny our selves every thing that befalls us would be easie and sweet unto us for all things are so farre under us as we are above our selves Of dreames God speaketh in a dreame in a deep sleep in slumber and man perceiveth it not By dreames we may know what sin we are in danger to fall into which we are not aware of An evill dreame doth shew some evill that prevailes in the heart Delight Such as delight not in God delight in finâ— The more we delight in worldly things thâ— more they sting and vex us when they part Fleshly delights are earnestly desired anâ— acted with great willingnesse Despaire Despaire can doe no good Ignorance is a cause of despaire Despaire is not commanded nor commended but condemned Distempers To be disquieted or cast downe arguerh a distemper of heart Distempers hinder us in our trust and delight in God Distempers hinder us in our spirituall and temporall callings Death We choose life with sorrowes rather then death without them I have heard that a porter being spent with his burden was forced to throw it downe oh death saith he come death welcome death death comes in a visible apparition what wouldst thou have with mee saith death oh nothing nothing but helpe me up with my burden By life we have a being but a better being is by death The day of death is the first day of life He whose hopes are in heaven is not much afraid of death Death is to him no misery whose hopes are in eternitie When death seemes to dispossesse a Saint of all it possesseth him of all The Saints have cause to welcome death Wise men desire death yet are content to live As loath as we are to dye God by death delivers his from all sorrowes at once and makes them happy for ever Death fully freeth the Saints from all crosses burdens and infirmities why should I feare that I would not escape what hurt is it to enter into glory I cannot have my happinesse unlesse I goe unto it Many good men at their death have feares and paines Death hath something to say to every man and would be heard but men are not at leisure If it were not for the miseries that attend this life many would lesse welcome death Concerning our ends The end is the ground and rule of our actions A man fully seeks to attaine his end nothing contents a man till he finde that which he apprehends he needs
blesse it to thee eye the promise Job 7. 17. Mica 2. 3. to the end Isa 48. 17. Psal 119. 33 34. 86. 11. 1 Cor. 12. 31. 4. 3. 4. 22. Be humble The humble he will teach Psal 25. 9. Come empty of distractions of worldly thoughts and affections Exod. 3. 5. Pro. 27. 7. Luk. 1. 51. Pray shew me thy truth and blesse it to me Psal 119. 18. Pray for him Col. 4. 4. Omit not opportunitie Eccle. 11. 6. Take heed who yee heare and what yee heare In hearing the Word Attend diligently Isa 55. 23. Watch eyes eares hearts sleep not wander not gaze not doe as Acts 8. 6. Minde that which most concernes thee Heare with understanding and judgement put a difference between truth and error Prov. 14. 15. Matth. 13. 13. 15. 10. Job 21. 11. Heare it as the word of God else it profits not Heb. 4. 2. 1 Pet. 2 3. 1 Thes 2. 13. Pro. 3. 4 5. Let it sinke downe into your heart Neh. 9. 25. Luk. 9. 45. Psal 119. 11. After hearing If God hath blessed it to thee Joh. 14. 22. Mat. 13. 17. Psal 147. 20. 1 Cor. 14. 25. hold it fast let it not goe loose it not the ayre of the world Try what yee have heard 1 Thes 5. 21. Acts 17. 11. Acts 8. 34. Rom. 3. 8. Know He that planteth and watereth is nothing 1 Cor. 3. 7. Acts 8. 1. with 11. 19. 21. Acts 4. 13. It 's God that gives the increase give him the glory Thinke on what thou hast heard Phil. 4. 8. Deut. 3. 39. shee pondered Luk. 2. 19. meditation helps the memory and affection and works an inward feeling of it if God blesse it but if we meditate not on it it will doe us no good but come to nothing Apply what thou hast heard to thy severall occasions Practise it Deut. 5. 1. Mat. 7. 26. Jam. 1. 25. God looks for fruit Isa 5. 2. Mat. 21. 34. Luk. 13. 7. Where much is given much is required Luk. 12. 48. Joh. 8. 47. 12. 40. Practise presently I made hast and delayed not Psal 119. 60. Gen. 7. 23. with 22. 3. Abraham went presently they were not to stay but to step in presently Joh. 5. 4. Pro. 24. 33 34. Concerning Reading give attendance to it 1 Tim. 4. 13. To reade with profit requires diligence Pro. 2. 12. Mat. 13. 54. Wisedome in the choice of matters sutable to our necessitie and capacitie and fit time to reade in respect of others businesse God hath made every thing beautifull in it's time Eccle. 3. 11. Pray for a sound judgement and good affections so Pro. 17. 16. An honest heart Luk. 8. Wherefore is there a prise put into the hand of a foole to get wisdome â—eeing he hath no heart to it After reading meditate Psal 1. 2. it makes that we reade our own Confer on it pray and praise Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes Psal 119. He that profits by hearing and reading he must pray continually 1 Thes 5. and not be wise in his own eyes Psal 34. 119. and his ends good 1 Coâ— 10. 31. he must love the Word and hearken unto it Mark 7. 14. and resolve to obey John 7. 17. and search the Scriptures and compare them together John 5. 39. Isaiah 44. 20. He feedeth upon ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soule nor say Is there not a lie in my right hand THese words declare the dead and miserable estate of man by nature 1. He is without knowledge and understanding he cannot see he cannot understand as vers 18 19. 2. His food is ashes 3. He hath an appetite unto them he lives upon them he feedeth upon ashes 4. The end of his feeding is that he might deliver his soule 5. His mistake and delusion he is turned aside 6. The cause of this delusion is from his own heart a deceived heart hath turned him aside 7. The strength of his delusion is such that he cannot say Is there not a lie in my right hand 8. His soule is taken prisoner by Satan he is a captive to him and is kept by him he cannot deliver his soule 9. He sees and knowes his soule is taken and lost and he would faine redeeme it againe he useth meanes to doe it 10. The fruit of his labours are all lost all his labours and endeavours his best skill and his best actions will not doe him any good they cannot helpe him he cannot deliver his soule he would gladly deliver his soule he would doe any thing he can to doe it but though he doe his best it will doe him no good for he cannot deliver his soule By ashes is meant that which is not bread Christ is the true bread his flesh is meate indeed and his bloud drinke indeed other things may be taken for bread and in appearance have the same colour and forme bread hath but whatsoever it seemes to be it 's not bread indeed but ashes Christ is the living bread that came downe from heaven if any man eate of this bread he shall live for ever see Joh. 6. 32. 35. 48. 51. 55. So that groundlesse hopes false conclusions Idolatry duties ordinances comforts joyes ravishments and what else soever yee can name except Jesus Christ is ashes Christ takes from his all their ashes to give unto them beauty for ashes Isa 61. 3. The words opened By heart is meant the understanding and will Deceived heart mis-informed by Satan darkened so that he thinkes he is rightly informed concerning the salvation of his soule but he is deceived Aside from Christ in whom is deliverance rest satisfaction and salvation Turned him viz. the understanding and will hath a power to turne the soule Soule is meant the whole man a principle part is here put for the whole Deliver escape the danger he is in A lie viz. that which will deceive me in not being unto me that I take it for and that I need that which will never performe that it promiseth to me Hand that which holds viz. the understanding c. Right hand the most eminent for use viz. in those things which are most eminent and of greatest concernment the soule is deceived Obs 1. Naturall men are content to be at great cost to save their soules Thousands of Rammes ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle the fruit of their body for the sin of theâ—r soulâ—s Mica 6. 6 7. This is but ashes Obs 2. There is no life nor strength to be expected from ashes they are no food fit to eate naturally ashes corrupts and destroys the body so these fill the soule with corruption which kills and destroys it as they that have no bread must dye for hunger Luk. 15. 17. Obs 3. The food naturall men live upon is ashes bread they have none they know no better nor desire no bread Isa 52. 2. They like ashes best because they are sutable to their natures judgements
for sinne the condition on Gods part was that then Christ should see his seed and prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand Isa 53. 10 11 12. Obs The summe is that the Covenant of grace life and salvation stands onely betwixt God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who hath undertaken to performe all that was necessary for the salvation of his Elect. That the Covenant of grace was made with Jesus Christ appeares by these Reasons Reas 1. Because the word him in the singular number noteth onely one Person My Covenant shall stand fast with him The Elect are many therefore it s not made with them in this sence I here speake for there is a difference between the word him and the word them he saith My faithfulnesse and my mercy shall be with him c. 24. 2. Because Christ is called the Covenant because it hath dependance on him I will give thee for a Covenant of the people Isa 42. 6 7. 49. 9. The Elect are not called a Covenant I grant they share in the priviledges of it but it s in relation to Christ and as they are considered in him hence it is God saith he will shew them his Covenant Psal 25. 14. to comfort them with it 3. Christ onely is ingaged to performe the conditions of this Covenant because he hath undertaken it he hath sealed confirmed and fulfilled the Covenant with his bloud therefore his bloud is called the bloud of the Covenant Heb. 13. 20. Our bloud is not the bloud of the Covenant 4. It was of necessity that this Covenant should be made with Christ and him onely because he alone was able to keepe the conditions of it it required a great strength to keep this Covenant therefore the Lord saith I have laid helpe upon one that is mighty thou bâ—st a mighty arme strong is thy hand vers 19. 13. We are weake even weaknesse it selfe utterly unable to effect such a worke it had been in vaine to have laid so great a work upon man yea fallen man whose strength is weaknesse and his Râ—ghtâ—oâ—snesse no better then a menstruâ—â—us cloth Isa 46. 5. If man had been to performe any of the conditions of this Covenant it had not been a covenant of grace but a covenant of works for if it be of works is not of grace Rom. 4. 4 5. Nor were the covenant of grace free and absolute if it were conditionall for that covenant is not absolute which depends upon any condition to be by us performed but to us the covenant is free and absolute and altogether unconditionall on mans part therefore it s a covenant of grace it cost Christ deare his very life that it might cost us nothing 6. If this covenant had been made with us and so had depended upon our obedience then might our sin have broke the covenant and so deprived us of salvation which cannot be for sin cannot deprive any of the Elect of salvation for God saith My covenant shall stand fast with him his seed also will I make to indure for ever if his Christ children forsâ—ke my Law and walke not in my judgements if they â—â—eake my statutes and keepe not my commandements what then then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquitie with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile my Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Psal 89. 28. to 38. These words doe exceeding fully and clearly declare that the covenant of grace depends not upon our good duties nor can be broken by our sins 7. If the covenant of grace had depended upon our actings towards God then had the counsell of God appeared to be mutable which is contrary to Heb. 6. 17. 8. If this covenant had depended upon our keeping the conditions we could not be certain of our salvation because we might not performe the conditions at least greatly doubt whether wee had performed them or no for if Adam in his greatest strength fell how shall we in our weaknesse stand 9. If we had been to performe the conditions to pertake of the covenant of grace then could not wee have strong consolation because wee should be under care and feare least we should come short Now God to free us from care and feare herein he made sure the covenant with Jesus Christ for him to keepe therefore to make it sure and to free us from all doubt he confirmed it by an Oath the reason why he did so is rendred that we might have strong consolation wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the infallibility of 〈◊〉 Counsell confirmed it by â—n Oath that by two immutable things oath and promise wee might have strong consolation Heb. 6. 17 18. Our consolation is farre more stronger that all is finished and confirmed by Christ then to have so weighty a matter upon which depends our eternall happinesse to depend upon the good acts of a weake uncertaine and vaine man whose breath is in his nostrels 10. Lastly it tends most to the advantage to the riches and glory of Gods grace and abasing man to establish the covenant with Christ so as to leave none of this worke for man to doe for if man were to doe the least part of that worke on which depended our eternall happinesse in stead of giving God the glory we would boast Therefore to prevent this he hath established the covenant with Christ who hath wrought our works for us and hath not left any of this worke for us to doe see Isa 26. 18. Obs The covenant of grace is unutterable it s a fast and sure covenant it s an everlasting covenant it cannot be broke therefore all the Elect shall certainly have happinesse and glory We have the word of the Lord to confirme this for God saith My Covenant shall stand vers 28. My Covenant will I not breake nor after the thing that is gone out of my lips v. 34. The Covenant of my peace shall not be removed Isa 45. 10. I have said Mercy shall be built up for ever yea he hath sworne it Once have I swornely my holinesse that I will not lie unto Christ Psal 89. 35. God is not as man that be should repent faithfull is he that hath promised which will also doe it Use Inform. This shews they mistake who conceive the covenant is made with man or that reach faith to be a condition of the covenant 2. That the happinesse of the children of Christ depends upon the stability of the covenant seeing that is sure and unalterable therefore their happinesse is sure and unalterable Nothing shall separate us c. Sin cannot nor shall not Rom. 8. 38 39. 3. That our eternall happinesse doth not depend upon our works nor upon our selves but upon Jesus Christ in what he hath done for us 4. That
live Which voice of his unto me life did give 3. When I heard this sweet voice of God to me Vpon my heart effectually it wrought That I was then so set at liberty That oft times I did ponder in my thought From sin Satan curse wrath and hell so free That I feare not what they can doe to me 4. Love caused God for me his Sonne to give Love caused Jesus Christ for me to dye Love caused God to say to my soule live Love in my soule doth now againe reply In Songs how lovingly Christ did come forth A mighty and ransome of great worth 5. What glorious sight of love is this I see That being had before the world could be Without all time bounds measure or degree Is this his love which he hath set on me One glorious sight of this so great love Will cause a soule for to be sicke of love 6. This love made known to me made me to muse That ever God should be to me so good To give his Sonne for me and me to choose Which was his enemy and in my bloud When I fled from him after me came he I sought not him but he sought after me 7. The love of God to me is passing great Which had a being ere the world began It boundlesse is and every way compleate And longer doth endure then this world can Like love to this hath never yet been heard And there is none can be to this compar'd 8. That many in their sinnes should be destroy'd Whose first condition was as good as mine And yet to me this mercy is injoyd Thus being freed I shall in glory shine This shews his love to me is great and free And could not be deserv'd at all by me 9. Oh! who could wish himselfe a thing so rare As to be hem'd in and compast about With boundlesse love oh who can it declare Or who by fathoming can finde it out My heart my hand tongue are all too weak Of matchlesse love to thinke or write or speak 10. It is through faith injoyed so excellent It comforteth and elevates on high The saddest heart and fills it with content Yea it revives a soule ready to dye The apprehending it brings joy and peace When it is clouded then our joys decrease 11. Each soule that doth this boundles joy possesse May well be swallowed in admiration And to the praise of God may it expresse And have it in their meditation Well may it cause us to serve feare and love This infinite Giver ever God above Glory be to God on high The end of the second Part. DIVINE CONSOLATIONS OR A fountaine of life and comfort The Third Part. Declaring that the Elect were justified from the punishment of sin by Christ when he was upon the Crosse and the objections against it are answered And that Christ alone is our life happinesse peace strength comfort joy and all perfection Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne Rom. 4. 8. Being justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8. 33. For they are without fault before the Throne of God Rev. 14. 5. By Samuel Richardson LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Aldersgate-streâ—te 1649. To all that love Jesus Christ in sincerity heires of the purchased possession to as many of them as this shall come understanding to know and love to embrace the truth Holy and beloved in the Lord BEhold I present to your view Christ crucified which is the sum and substance of the Gospel The Priesthood of Christ and the sufficiency of his Sacrifice to save is the main thing I contend for against the Papists who say Christs sacrifice is not sufficient without their sacrifice Charity saves saith one without good workes no salvation saith another a third saith that Christs sacrifice is not sufficient for our Salvation without beleeving that beleeving saves and that without beleeving we cannot be saved Yee see they all urge a necessity of something for salvation besides Christs Sacrifice without which something they say we cannot be saved so that they deâ—y the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice to save and so deny that Christ doth save for those that he saves he saves by his sacrifice Also if Christ and something else saves us Christ saves us not for he is no Saviour if he be but a part of a Saviour therefore in adding something to Christs sacrifice they deny the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice so that their opinions are dishonourable to Christ therefore as we tender the honour of Jesus Christ we are to hate and abhorre them being enemies to the Crosse of Christ and therefore abominable If we consider how generally these are received and scarce contradicted by any that beleeving and Christ and beleeving together saves us sure it should greatly stirre us up and provoke us to contend for the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice though our contending should cost us our lives There is no truth more honourable to Christ nor of greater concâ—rament to his glory and our salvation then this is take away any thing of the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice and our salvation is destroyed what a dishonour were it to God to send Christ to save us and yet for him not to save and not to be sufficient to save there is no opinion in the world that my soule doth more abhorre nor against which I would more freely lay downe my life for then this This Treatise tends to exalt Christ alone selfe is not exalted nor nothing of man this doctrine puts a man upon a whole deniall of himselfe because man and his best works are not onely wholy shut out in this worke but trampled upon in respect of Justification and Salvation This doctrine strips us naked from all things else but Christ it is not I and my workes nor Christ and my workes together that saves me but Jesus Christ alone is he that saves us from our sinnes c. Many want this light desire and hope of doing good moved and incouraged me to take paines herein and send it into the world I have no prejudice against the persons of any nor would I have any thinke ill of them in many things we sinne all in one kinde or other it s in vaine to expect better so long as we are in this world neither dâ—e I know that I take any pleasure in writing against any no further then I thinke my selfe bound in conscience to witnesse to the truth and then especially when others omit it Mr Gerees Booke against Dâ—ctor Crispe hath been published above foure yeares and no answer given to it by any neither have I heard that any other hath given any answer
righteousnesse saves us from our unrighteousnesse In the beholding of sinne we consider God hath set against it Christs righteousnesse and that in his righteousnesse God is fully satisfied and therefore in it we rest fully satisfied Christs satiffaction by his death if laid in the ballance with that perfect obedience of the law required of us is of sufficient weight to answer the Justice of God the wise and just God would not have ordained it for that end if it had bin insufficient to satisfie for our sinnes to judge Christs death insufficient is very dishonourable to Christ 3. Salvation from sin is not mans act but an act of Christ by his death it s Christs worke to save us Mat. 1. 21. It s not our worke to save our selves not our workes but Christ is the price and pay-master for the sinnes of the Elect if wee could have saved our selves Christ needed not to come from heaven into the world to do it 1 Tim. 1. 15. Christ workes not salvation in us nor by us but brings salvation to us Isa 63. 5. Jesus Christ in one worke once performed by his death did eternally redeeme Rev. 5. 9. Justifie Rom. 5. 9. Sanctifie and perfect us for ever Heb. 10. 10. 12. 14. Heb. 2. 29. Then he reconciled all the Elect in the body of his flesh through death Col. 1. 21 22. His death is that price that paid to the utmost for all our sinnes our best workes cannot save us neither in whole nor in part 4. Heaven is an inheritance eternall inheritance Heb. 9. 15. An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you 1 Pet. 1. 4. That which wee possesse by right of inheritance wee never wrought for nor paid for left to one Pro. 13. 26. falleth to one Ezek. 47. 14. given Jer. 3. 18. Acts 20. 32. Heb. 11. 6. Ezek. 33. 24. Psal 78. 55. So this inheritance Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 12. 3. 24. Christ bought it and paid for it his precious bloud a great price 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Eph. 1. 14. It cost him so much that it might cost us nothing vaine man would worke for it to earne it and merit it men thinke they must doe something for it our doings could not procure it God would not have us to have it that way but by way of gift it s a free gift as appeares Rom. 6. 23. Eph. 2. 8 9. And that it could not be if it had been to be wrought for by us To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned free of grace but of debt Rom. 4. 4. The children of God are borne heires to it Rom. 8. 17. and it was prepared for them before they were borne Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25. 34. 5. Wee are not exhorted to forsake evill and doe good to the end wee may be saved but because it is our duty consider these places Rom. 4. 5. 5. 19. 1. 17. Gal. 2. 17. 3. 14. Joh. 3. 18. James 5. 24. Acts 10 43. 6. We doe nothing in the world to be saved because salvation is not given for our workes nor according to our workes God saith he imputeth righteousnesse without workes Rom. 4. 6. Not of workes Rom 9. 11. Who hath saved us and called us not according to our workes 2 Tim. 1. 9. Not of workes of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Titus 3. 5. If by grace it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace if it be of workes then it is not of grace Rom. 11. 6. What can be more plaine Hence it is that wee are ceased from our own workes Heb. 4. 10. We did walke in the way of workes for salvation till God did hedge up our way with thornes our workes were those thornes which did pierce â—s and wounded us at the heart in stead of saving us they killed us these thornes did so pricke us that we were not able to goe any further in that way God opened our eyes that wee saw nothing but death in them then we ceased to worke for life and salvation We ought to doe good workes because God commands us to doe them and because they are for his glory see Titus 3. 8. 14. and because we are loved and saved from our enemies Luk. 1. 71. To doe good workes is good but not for salvation fire is good but not to put into the thatch nor under the bed unlesse yee meane to fire the house We perswade to good workes and strictnesse in holinesse of life because we are justified and saved without works yea before we did any good work for we did none before we were called Who hath saved us and called us 2 Tim. 1. 9. We were saved when Christ suffered upon the Crosse called when converted both eâ—â—ected in time but neither of them was according to our workes but according as he had purposed before the world began our workes remove not our offences nor make us just before God that which can cause to be accepted must be so perfect that the Law of God cannot except against see Lev 18. 5. Luk. 10 27 28. Our best workes are not so and therefore they will not stand us in any stead for salvation If wee could be saved by any workes Christ dyed in vaine I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. Remember that they that love Jesus Christ will keep his words see and consider Joh. 14. 23. 15. 16. 2. 10. Is Christ come not to doe his own will then we may not doe ours unlesse ours be his Joh. 6. 28 29. For those that take pleasure in sinne let them consider 1 Joh. 1. 6. 2. 4. Gal 5. 13. to 23. 6. 5. 7. 8. Rom. 2. 17. Mat. 7. 30. Luk. 6. 44. 13. 27. Christs love caused him to dye for us let his love constraine us to serve him he is worthy of our love if he hath thy affections he shall have thy actions if thou hast tasted of the sweetnesse of Christs love thou wilt say there is none so sweet as his who in his wounds hath buried and destroyed all thy sins to redeeme thee from them and purchase thy salvation 7. To doe for salvation were to bring in the law of workes he that seekes to be justified by the Law is fallen from grace Gal. 5. 4. The Law concernes our conversation not our salvation The righteousnesse of God is manifested without the Law Rom. 3. 21. No man is justified by the Law in the sight of God Gal. 3. 11. In mans sight he may Jam. 2. 24. By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight Rom. 3. 20. We are not debtors to the Law Gal. 5. 23. 8. Those that are such great doers for salvation doe as little as others None of