1. to 4. Dan. 9. 24 25 26. Act. 10. 43. 2. By the many Types of Christ representing him as a Redeemer Restorer and Deliverer of his people Moses and Aaron Types of Christ as delivering Israel out of Egypt Act. 7. 37 38. The Judges and Kings Types of Christ as saving Israel from their enemies Iudg. 16 30. Psal. 2. The Sacrifices slain and their blood shed and sprinkled Types of Christ who by his death and blood should expiate our offences c. Heb. 9. 9. to the end and 10. 1. to 19. 3. By the many Names and Titles given unto Christ clearly declaring him to be the eminent Medium or Mean of lapsed man's Recovery He is to this end stiled A Mediator betwixt God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 9. 15. A Redeemer Isa. 59. 20. Rom. 11. 26. Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. A Ransom for many 1 Tim. 2. 6. A Sacrifice for sin offered once for ever Heb. 10. 12. A Propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2. 2. A Propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. A Reconciler of the world to God 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. We are reconciled to God when we were enemies by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. By whom we have received the Atonement Rom. 5. 11. The Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world Joh. 1. 29. The Deliverer that shall come out of Sion and turn away ungodliness from Iacob Rom. 11. 26. A Saviour which is Christ the LORD Luk. 2. 11. Who came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Able to save to the uttermost Heb. 7. 25. The chief Captain or Arch-duke of our salvation Heb. 2. 10. An Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. With divers such like Denominations 4. By the many saving benefits which he hath meritoriously obtained and purchased of God for us by his obedience sufferings and death As Satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins Eph. 5. 2. Heb. 10. 5. to 22. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Redemption from all our spiritual bondage Eternal Redemption Heb. 9. 12. Reconciliation to God Rom. 5. 10 11. 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. Adoption into Gods Family Gal. 4. 4 5 6. Remission of sins and Justification Eph. 1. 7. Rom. 3. 25. Heb. 9. 14. and 10. 12 14 17 18. Mortifying and crucifying of our old man Rom. 6. 6 7. Conquering of death and him that as an Executioner had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 14 15. Col. 2. 14 15. Appearing for us as our Advocate by representing the merit of his blood in Heaven Heb. 9. 24. and 7. 25. 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. Making a new and living way for us through the vail of his flesh which was rent with sufferings by his own blood into the holiest of all Heaven it self Heb. 10. 19 20. III. That this Iesus Christ is the only Mediator the only Saviour of sinnetrs the only meritorious Mean of lapsed mans Recovery out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature There is one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. Neither is there Salvation in any other For there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4. 12. Direct X. KNow also O Natural Man That Iesus Christ hath wrought Recovery and obtained Redemption for lapsed man from his sinful and wretched State of Nature into an Holy and Happy State of Grace As he is God-man Testator Surety and Mediator of the New Testament Executing his Mediatory office to this End as Prophet Priest and King both in his State of Humiliation and Exaltation The former Direction shows that Jesus Christ and he alone is Sinful man's Recoverer This declares How and in what way he hath Effected and obtained man's Recovery and Redemption In an abstruse and most mysterious way viz. 1. As he is God-man in one Person This I have elsewhere abundantly cleared There see 2. As he is Testator Surety and Mediator of the New Testament or New Covenant This also see elsewhere explicated and Confirmed for brevity sake 3. As he Executed his Mediatory office in a Prophetical Priestly where his Satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins is at large handled pag. 1607. to 1618. and Kingly way both in his state of Humiliation and Exaltation All these I have elsewhere cleared Consult the place that I may not actum agere Whereby I hope you will not lose your labour Direct XI LEt this sink deep into shine heart O Natural man That this Iesus Christ God-man the only Mediator and Saviour's Most able and Most willing 〈◊〉 Receive and Save all Lapsed Sinners that come unto him and to God by him 1. Iesus Christ is most able and sufficient to save all unto the Uttermost that Come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. Mat. â—8 18. c. Col. 1. 19. He is not an impotent but an omnipotent Saviour Rev. 1. 8. whether we regard his Person or Office 2. Iesus Christ is most willing to save all that come unto him Both these I have already demonstrated Consult them there at large to avoid prolixity here Direct XII MArk well notwithstanding O Natural man That there 's a vast difference betwixt Christs obtaining of Redemption and Recovery for lapsed man and Christs applying of that obtained Recovery and Redemption so lapsed man Betwixt these there are two great differences 1. Christ hath obtained eternal Redemption for us immediately by his own Person and the merit of his obedience Heb. 1. 3. and 9. 12. Eph. 5. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. Eph. 1. 7 8. Christ applies this obtained Redemption to us immediately by his Spirit effectually working Faith and all saving grace in us that so we may close with Christ have union to him and communion with him Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. Eph. 2. 8 9. Gal. 5. 22. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Deut. 30. 6. Eph. 1. 13 14. 1 Ioh. 5. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2. Christ hath obtained Recovery and Redemption for his Elect joyntly in fulness of time by his blood Gal. 4. 4 5. Eph. 1. 3. to 9. The vertue of his sufferings extending it self to them all from the beginning to the end of the world As the Sun in the Meridian line in the fulness of the day diffuseth his light heat and influence backwards towards the East as well as forward towards the West Eph 1. 10. Col 1. 20. But Christ applies this Recovery and Redemption which he hath wrought and purchased in due time to his Elect severally as he calls them particularly unto the fellowship of his Son 1 Cor. 1. 9. 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. And he calls some in their youth some in their manly-age some though very few in their old age some at the third hour some at the sixth some at the ninth and some at the eleventh hour of their day Mat. 20. 1. to 17. Direct XIII NO Sinner in
of true Repentance viz. 1. An hearty impartial self-abasing and self-condemning confession of sin to God Psal. 51. 17. and verse 1 3 5 14. Ezra 9. 6. Dan. 9. 5 6 7 8. Luke 15. 18 19. 2. Faith in Christ Mark 1. 15. Act. 26. 18. Heb. 6. 1. of which formerly 3. Penitential Desires and these vehement viz. Against sin that it may be pardoned subdued extirpated c. And for abundance of Grace to these ends 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. 4. Prayer Act. 9. 11. Even the Spirit of Prayer Zech. 12. 10. Psal. 51. 1. c. IV. Consequents of true Repentance aâ—e 1. More generally All good fruits and good works meet for Repentance Mat. 3. 8 9 10. and 7. 19. Luke 3. 8 9. with Gal. 5. 22 23. 2. More particularly These and such like 1. Vigilant care against sin for time to come 2 Cor. 7. 11. 2. Enlarged thankfulness for Gods mercies in Christ to the penitent and pardoned sinner 1 Tim. 1 13. to 18. Luke 7. 37 38. 3. Vehement and sincere Love To Christ for his Grace Luke 7. 47. Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. To his Ministers for their Embassey 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. Gal. 4. 14 15. To his members for his image 1 Ioh. 3. 14. and 5. 1. 4. Singular joy in Christ and in all his wayes Acts 2. 46. and 8. 39. 5. Chearful new obedience to God in Christ. Acts 2. 42 c. Isa. 1 16 17 18 19 20. 6. Compassionateness to other sinners with desires and endeavours to gain them to Christ by Faith and Repentance Psal. 51. 12 13. 1 Cor. 9. 19. to 23. Luke 22. 32. Acts 26. 29. 7. Holy zeal to the peace and prosperity of Christs Church into which the penitent is now implanted Acts 2. 41. to the end 1 Cor. 9. 19 c. Psal. 51. 18 19. XIX Direction TUrn now unto God in Christ O Natural man by repenting Come now unto Iesus Christ and apply him by believing Delay not tarry not but make all speed all present speed in thy life in thy health in thy youth this day rather then to morrow as ever thou desirest to make surâ— of life and eternal salvation by Christ Iesus Eccl. 12. 1. Heb. 3. 7 8 13 15. 2 Cor. 6. 2. To incline thee forcibly hereunto consider seriously 1. God calls for the early sacrifices and services to be performed to him As The first-fruits of the Ground The first-fruits of Dough the first-fruits of all Fruit-trees Neh. 10. 35 36 37. The Firstlings of Beasts Exod 13. 1 2. The First-born of man Exod. 13. 1 2. The First-fruits of thy dayes Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Eccl. 12. 1. The first-fruits of thy study care diligence affections c. First seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness Mat. 6. 33. And wilt thou put off God with the last with the dross and dregs of all 2. Gods Elect have come in to Christ repented and converted speedily immediately upon Gods call and dost thou still stand off after so many calls and invitations The Apostles immediately upon Christs call came to him and followed him Mat. 4. 18. to 23. The sinful Woman presently relented upon Christs preaching that sweet Sermon Mat. 11. 28 29 30. her History is thought next in order to succeed those words Luke 7. 37 c. Zacheus the Publican was presently converted upon Christs coming to him Luke 19. 6. to 11. The Thief upon the Cross who possibly never saw or heard Christ before was immediately converted and assured that that day he should be with Christ in Paradise Luke 23. 41 42 43. Cornelius and his Company were gained to Christ as Peter was uttering his Sermon Acts 10. 44 c. The Ethiopian Eunuch upon Philip's preaching instantly believed and was baptized Acts 8. 35 c. At one Sermon of Peter 3000 were brought home to Christ and added to the Church Acts 2. 36 37 c. The Hearers of the Apostles were speedily converted about 5000 Acts 4. 4. Saul upon Christs call instantly believed and repented so that of a Wolf he became a Lamb of a Persecutor a Preacher of Christ and of his Gospel Acts 9. 3 4 c. 19 20 c. At Paul's preaching Lydia's heart was presently opened to entertain Christ Acts 16. 14. The Jaylor presently believed upon the preaching of Paul and Silas Acts 16. 30 c. The Ephesians after they heard the Word of Truth speedily converted to God Eph. 1. 13 14 15. with Acts 19. 17 18 19 20. The Thessalonians upon Paul's entring in unto them with the Gospel turned from Idols to serve the living God 1 Thes. 1. 4 5 9. and 2. 1. And what shall I say more The Colossians believed and were converted speedily the Gospel bringing forth fruit in them from the very day they heard it Col. 1. 4 5 6. Now this Catalogue of early Repenters shall rise up in judgement against thee and condemn thee for thy delay 3. The present time is of all other the very fittest time in the world for thee and for every one to turn from sin by repenting and close with Christ by believing For 〈◊〉 God saith To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 3. 7 8. 13. 15. and 4. 7. And dost thou with the Devil say Tomorrow 2. Now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Hereafter may be the un-acceptable time the day of damnation 3. Now God may be found is near hereafter God may be afar off and may not be found Isa. 55. 6 7. 4. The present time is the time of mercy God holds out to the sinner his white Flag his golden Scepter of many precious Promises The future time may be the time of judgement and he may hold forth the red and black Flags of blood and death Prov. 1. 24. to 32. Isa. 65. 12. and 66. 4. Iâ— 7. 13. 5. The present time is only thine Time past is irrevocably gone Time to come may never come to thee The rich fool that promised himself many years had not many hours to live that night his soul was taken from him Luke 12. 20. And then if that prove thy condition what will become of thy impenitent hardned unbelieving and Christless soul 4. Delays in this case are very dangerous For 1. While Repentance is delayed iniquity is daily increased and sin multiplied Such go on still in their trespasses Psal. 168. 21. 2. While Repentance is delayed the heart will be daily more and more hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3. 13. 3. The more the heart is hardned the more impossible it will be for the sinner to repent Rom. 2. 5. 4. Late and long-delayed Repentance is seldom true alwayes difficult Unfit to day more unfit to morrow Long festering and rankling Sores are hardly cured if curable at all True Repentance indeed is never too late but late Repentance is seldom true Late
the Houshold of Faith Restrain not Prayer but pray continually with groans that cannot be uttered by the assistance of the Spirit Have no fellowship at all with Sin and Satan nor any needless fellowship with any workers of iniquity Eph. 5. 11. Psal. 1. 1. and 26. 4 5. Psal. 119. 115. Walk not disconsolately and dejectedly but in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 31. Be abundantly contented in all conditions allotted thee by God Fully expect good by the worst of afflictions that may befall thee and be ever carefull to keep thy Hopes and Evidences for Heaven firm and clear that when thou comest to die thou maist lift up thine head and triumph that thy Redemption and celestial Coronation with Christ draweth nigh XXI Direction WRastle also most vlgorously O thou that wast Natural but art spiritualized wast dead but art alive again against all thy sins spiritual enemies and their temptations Heb. 12. 4. Col. 3. 5. to 12. Eph. 6. 11. to 19. for all time to come that they may none of them in the least measure eclipse any of these thy spiritual Priviledges or embitter any other thy sweet enjoyments Holy David by his lapses brought many deep wounds and scarrs upon his Conscience Psal. 51. 3 8. some of which he probably carried to his Grave Loving and confident Peter by his triple denial of his Lord and Master Christ purchased to himself a torrent of bitter tears Mat. 26. 75. The Ephesian Angel by leaving his first love and first works was so offensive thereby to Christ that he threatned the removal of his Candlestick Revel 2. 4 5. The Church her self by her carnal sluggishness and security lost her sweet Communion with Christ for a season and was involved in deep spiritual distress Cant. 5. 2. to 9. Be thou warned by their examples which are written for thine admonition lest through thy spiritual oscitancy and sluggishness thou bring upon thy self like spiritual calamities and so far wound thy Conscience as to go bleeding to thy Grave XXII Direction EXpress upon all good occasions all possible tenderness of heart and bowels of compassion towards those that yet remain in the first Adam in their sinful state of Nature unregeâ—erate especially towards thy kindred according to the flesh using all good endeavours to convince convert and gain them to Christ that they as well as thy self may be eternally saved Luke 22. 32. Rom. 10. 1. and 9. 1 2 3. Acts 9. 20 with 1 Cor. 9. 19. to 23. For 1. Even thou thy self wast sometimes foolish disobedient serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating others Tit. 3. 3. An enemy to God by wicked works Col. 1. 21. Yea dead in sins and trespasses c. and a child of wrath as well as they or any of them Eph. 2. 1 2 3. But God who is rich in mercy hath saved thee by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. Hast thou then experimentally felt the Wormwood and the Gall of thy Natural state of sin and misery And dost thou not commiserate such poor souls as are still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Acts 8. 23. Hast thou had the sweet experience of the riches of Gods free-Grace and Love in restoring thee from death to life from thy Natural state of sin and misery into a supernatural state of sanctity and felicity And do not thy bowels yearn within thee after other lost souls especially those of thy kindred that they also may be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. 2. Are not their souls as well as thine own very precious O Consider 1. Their immortal Constitution which no Creature can kill or destroy Matth. 10. 28. 2. The invaluable price paid for their Restitution even the most precious blood and death of Jesus Christ the only Son of God 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. 3. The incomparable and transcendent value which the wisdome of God himself puts upon the soul as being of far more worth then the whole world Matth. 16. 26. And then think with thy self Shall not I endeavour to hinder the eternal loss and to promote the eternal salvation of such precious souls 3. What advantage will redound in sundry respects if God bless thine endeavours to the convincing and converting of their souls to Christ For Hereby 1. Thou shalt save a soul from death Jam. 5. 19 20. And what a great what a glorious work is it to have an hand in saving a soul from deathâ— 2. Thou shalt hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 19 20. Even an heap a sink a dunghil of hundreds and thousands of sins thou shalt hide from the revenging eye of God by Christs righteousness 2 Cor. 5. 20 21. 3. Thou shalt occasion great joy in Heaven among the blessed Angels of God who exceedingly rejoyce at the Conversion of sinners Luke 15. 7 10 22 23. 4. Finally Thou shalt hereby not a little further thine own eternal felicity Deut. 12. 3. Thou therefore commiserate thy Brethren in their sinful and wretched state of Nature as thy God hath in thy like condition had compassion on thee Canst thou lend an hand to pluck a Beast out of the mire or a Sheep out of a pit and wilt thou not lend an hand to help poor lost souls out of the mire of sin snares of Satan and pit of eternal destruction O warn them convince them counsel them exhort them rebuke them lament them pray for them weep over them do any good for them that thou maist by any means gain and save their souls XXIII Direction YIeld with all enlarged thankfulness all possible Praise Love and Obedience unto God and unto the Lamb who hath loved thee of the riches of his free-Grace before the world began who in fulness of time hath ransomed thee by the invaluable price of his death and in due time hath washed thâ—e from thy sins in his own blood aâ—d in the Laver of Regeneration by the renewing of the Holy Ghost Eph. 1. 3 4 5 6. 1 Iohn 4. 19. Gal. 4. 4 5. 1 Tim. 1. 15. and 2. 5 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20 Rev. 1. 5. Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. For 1. Thou oughtest to be thankful for all Gods blessings of all sorts the least of them being beyond yea contrary to thy deserts Eph. 5. 20. Col. 3. 17. 1 Thes. 5. 18. with Gen. 32. 10. but especially for those choicest spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Eph. 1. 3. Psal. 103 1 2 3. 2. The reality and sincerity of thy thankfulness will inwardly best approve it self in thy cordial affection and unâ—eigned love towards thy gracious God and Jesus Christ for all his love and all the fruits of his love in Christ. Kindness begets thankfulness and love breeds love as fire begets fire 1 Iob. 4. 19. Thus when