Christ they have been shaken in their bottoms being legal and thought if they took up from their sins and had a kind of sorrow for them and then set themselves to obey the law strictly be close in the Sabbath and some such duties that God would accept them being still ignorant at least practically that when they were convinced of sin they were to see where to have a righteousness and how to get into Christ and have life and strength in and from him for their new Obedicence which is that I drive at in this and my afterwards discourse in opening the New Creature as in Christ Having premised this I come to speak to the first particular laid down namely Observ 1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their natural estate are under the Law By the Law I do not mean the Mosaical or old Testament way of worship But by the law I understand that which we stile the moral law the law of the ten Commandments that was written in Adams heart and afterwards given out by God unto Moses at Mount Sinai and promised in the New Covenant to be written again in the hearts of all that are really called into the grace of ihe Covenant Ezek. 36.27 To be under the Law is an Expression familiar to you you know what it is to live under a law To be under this law of God then bespeaks these things 1. To be under it is to be bound over to the exact fulfilling it See Rom. 10.15 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall live by them that is it to be bound over to the fulfilling and doing of the law which if done exactly without the least deviation there is life promised to it But upon the least transgression of it to be liable to the penalty which God hath pronounced against the transgressors of it 2. It follows thence that to be under the Law is to be bound over to the whole Law in its full and perfect latitude as it reacheth the whole Man Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Mark well the tenour of these words Here is required of every one an exact doing not only purposing and thinking to do and that not only of some or the most of the Law but in all things and that not only for a time but a Continuance of doing so or else under the curse One sinful thought hath a curse belonging to it as well as the breach of the whole Law if under the Law Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law 1 John 3.4 3. To be under the Law is to be subject to and to be under all the curses threatnings judgments wrath that it threateneth to the transgressors of it here and for ever Whatsoever the Law saith in point also of judgment and wrath it saith to all that are under it 4. To be under it is to be bound to make God satisfaction in our own persons for the breach of it I mean while under it every soul is so obliged to make satisfaction to the justice of God If a poor soul be in his natural estate and so under the Law he must stand or fall to the Law God expects personal satisfaction from every soul that sinneth against it that will stand to his keeping the Law in whole or in part and God in his justice can bate nothing of what he hath spoken Now That all Men and Women are by nature as of and in the first Adam thus under the Law to wit to be bound up to it and to have life only upon the exact and perfect fulfilling of it to be bound up to the whole Law subject to the curse of it upon the transgression of one part bound to make God satisfaction in his own person for any breach thereof I briefly prove Saith Paul Rom. 6.14 Ye are not under the Law but under grace Implying till a soul is brought under grace the Covenant of grace justifying and sanctifying grace in and by Jesus Christ he is under the Law whosoever he be so Gal. 4.5 To redeem them that were under the law c. implying also that all mankind are naturally under it till under the power and efficacy and priviledge of Christ's Redemption The main reasons of it are All are under this law because all Mankind were bound up under the same Covenant with Adam who was a publick person representing all mankind as a man may bind up himself and his posterity to such and such Conditions and such a Covenant decree or obligation binds his posterity in Law so was Adam bound up to God See Rom. 5.12 the special Scripture that proves this truth Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned So verse 16 17 18 19. by one that sinned c. by one mans offence death reigned by one by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Implying clearly that the guilt of Adam as representing all his posterity was and is imputed to all and therefore all were and are bound over to the same Law bottomed upon that word of the Lord to Adam by which God put the Covenant upon him Gen. 2.17 For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Adam had the law of Holiness and Righteousness the Moral Law written in his heart before and his nature perfect which bound him over to obey every command of his God now God gave out that external law unto him by way of trial in which the form of the Covenant was implied but sinning against that he transgressed the Moral law written in his heart also which bound him over to obey God in all things so that the sin of Adam was at least virtually a transgression of the moral law now abiding and obliging mankind which law we all brake in him as it was given to all in him and being written in Adam's heart it was as much as if it had been actually written in the hearts of all mankind which doth also appear by the remnants of the Law as that there is a God and man should be just and remaining in the hearts of all Therefore by nature we are all bound up to and are under this law 2. It doth appear that all do sin and transgress this law of God therefore they are under the penalty and condemnation of it This Argument the Apostle brings to prove the same thing verse 9. of this 3d. of the Rom. For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin And verse 12. They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Thefore seeing all do sin they are bound to answer the law as you use
forth as the mark of an Hypocrite Now you have heard the law requires inward as well as outward perfection perfect holiness within as well as righteousness in the outward man I verily believe want of this conviction upon the soul sends more souls to Hell than any other thing in the world besides how confident are poor Creatures if they are a little consciencious in dealing and sober and blameless to men this you may be and be no better than Devils as in your selves in Gods account and thy best Character from Jesus Christ Mat. 23.26 is a Blind Pharisee Every place I fear abounds with them therefore this inveterate cursed plea of being outwardly blameless in keeping the Law will not in the least render you more accepted with God but 't is at the best but painted Hypocrisie And yet wretched souls that you are none so well perswaded of themselves as these This is the fourth Reason 5. All the best keeping of the Law doth not cannot make satisfaction to God for one sin of thy soul therefore 't is worth nothing Gods Justice is wronged and if the sinner be remitted God must be satisfied by the sinner himself or by another Now all the obedience of a sinner cannot make satisfaction to God in the least if he had the whole world to offer up to God it could not satisfie him for the wrong of one Sin See that known place Micah 6.6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Implying that there is nothing that a poor sinner of himself can offer up to God to make atonement of satisfaction to God for the least sin of his soul should he offer up thousands of prayers rivers of tears whole ages spent in services to God take up to a severe new obedience if you should so take to a new course as never to sin more all your days it would not make God satisfaction or atonement for one evil thought of thy soul Now observe this for if thou art not rightly convinced of this thing thou art lost for ever 'T is naturally upon every man and womans heart that hath sinned to imagine that when they have sinned they can put off God as to his displeasure with something or other they will reckon what good they have done gone to Church as you style it given Alms been just to Men or some such thing and the poor blind Creature imagines and pleaseth himself in it that this good thus done will well enough pacifie God for his sins or at least he will go over some prayers and be strict for a little while and then they doubt not but God because also he presently smites not with judgment is well enough appayed and he need no more trouble himself Is not this the very way of your hearts hath not the word found you out Object But you will say why cannot these duties and this obedience satisfie and pacifie God well enough for sin Answ 1. Because there is sin mixt in them they come from a prophane heart as is shew'd in the last reason thou thou ignorantly because thou knowest not thy heart call'st it a good heart Now that which is in it self sinful cannot sure satisfie for sin 2. Because of the infiniteness of God's justice as well as purity of it a finite creature cannot offer up a proportionable attonement to an infinite God Suppose a poor man were under the guilt of treason and condemn'd to dye and he should go and offer up a little course broken bread to the Prince would any one think that this would satisfie the Prince for his treason So poor deceived creature thou art guilty of treason and rebellion against the great and most high God and thou comest and offerest up to him thy poor polluted broked obedience and duties and thinkest he will be satisfied with this whereas God may in the same moment justly send thee to Hell for the iniquity of them A poor sinful soul thinks that because such doings and services do satisfie himself his own conscience therefore he thinks they will satisfie God also because they quiet him upon any trouble for guilt he thinks they will also quiet God and take off his anger and justice from punishing him Poor Creature this thy way is thy folly and the ready way to come under the severe justice of the Almighty who will not thus be dealt with nor be thus bribed with thy cursed sacrifices this is a further convincement of the point all the creature can do cannot pacifie God for one sin and therefore all his best keeping of the law cannot justifie a poor sinner before God nor give him acceptance in the least with him till he sees pacification another way and takes up obedience from another principle and to another end as we are to shew 6. All a mans endeavour in setting himself to keep the law to the utmost cannot give him acceptance with God because it cannot give life to the soul Gal. 3.21 For if there had been a law which would have given life verily righteousness had come by the law Man hath procured death and weakness upon his soul and the law cannot give life nor strength to obey it All that righteousness which leaves the soul dead comes to nothing while a soul is under the law and upon the fulfilling of it as he hopes in a good measure still the soul is as dead as sin left it and void of the life of God True a poor soul thinks himself alive by his legal performances as Paul thought Rom. 7.9 but he is dead in sin and under the sentence of death by the Law and all the performances towards the keeping of it can never give a drop of life to such a poor soul They are dead works and there 's no life in them or from them therefore they stand no soul instead while under the law as under it he is whiles he goes upon this account 7. The main reason of all which is now but to be touched is this If a soul endeavouring to keep the law of God as well as he can may be accepted of God thereby what need Jesus Christ to have dyed 'T is Pauls great argument Rom. 8.3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us c. Mark ye what the law could not do that it could not give us a righteousness whereby God might accept us therefore God sent his Son in the flesh and condemned sin upon him which otherwise had been condemned
upon every sinner in the world while under the law Rom. 5.18 2. The guilt of the corruption of our natures sin in the fountain as I have shewed which is likewise upon every Son or Daughter of Adam they are all corrupt Psal 14.1 wherein lies the exceeding sinfulness of sin 3. The guilt of actual rebellion against God sin brought forth and acted in the outward man against God Now under this threefold guilt is every sinner in the world while under the Law the effect of which if not reconciled is punishment suitable to the guilt which is Thou shalt surely dye And The wages of sin is death Eternal Death Rom. 6. last Vse 1. This may therefore inform and convince that every sin brings guilt upon the soul and so deserves death and everlasting wrath from God you that make light of sin to lye to prophane the Name of the Lord be in worldly discourses on the Lords day in any way of sin whatsoever weigh this in thy conscience there 's not the least sin but makes thee guilty before the Tribunal of God God the Law Angels Conscience are all witnesses against thee where 's the soul that will think to avoid this charge shall I prove every soul of you guilty and that before God If this were proved by the power of the word in the conscience I know what and I shall shew it you will be the effect of it lay your Consciences to the Word and if thou art found guilty before the Lord this day go home with the sense of it upon thy soul and do as a guilty sinner should do 1. Consider first as to what concerns God immediately the Law requires thou shouldst have no other Gods but him Exod. 20. which Jesus Christ interprets is to love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Soul Now hath God had thy whole Heart and Soul darest thou say so Hath not the world had more of thy Heart than God Dost not thou love the World and the things of it Do not thy Affections Thoughts Desires of thy Heart even day and night go after it Yea you cannot but grant that 't is so Then God and Angels are witness that thou art guilty of the damnable sin of Idolatry And such a one shall not as such enter into the Kingdom of God Eph. 5.5 Know by that Scripture A covetous heart may send thee to Hell as well as any sin in the World No Covetous man who is an Idolater shall enter into the kingdom of God Read over the place every day and tremble at it Here 's guilt already enough to damn thee 2. Thou hast worshipped God superstitiously and idolatrously after the Traditions and Commandments of Men You that are elderly people are all guilty here in a grevious manner in the time of your ignorance and superstition coming to Sacraments with sins upon your Souls from which sins your are not converted and changed to this day which the Apostle calls eating and drinking damnation or judgment under which guilt you still lye and would heap up more of this guilt were not some more tender of your Souls than your selves Art thou not now ready to cry out Oh hold hold you need go no further my Conscience is smitten Oh! guilt great guilt lyes upon me Oh that 't were the cry of many Souls before the Lord how might it end in mercy that shall be for ever 3. But yet further to pursue thy Conscience for that 's the nature of guilt doth not the Lord require in his law that thou shouldst not take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 Now sinner stave off this guilt if thou canst How oft hast thou abused and profaned this great and dreadful Name the Lord thy God by swearing or in thy by words crying Oh Lord Oh God for God's sake for Christ's sake upon every foolish vain occasion with no more reverence of His Name than the most common name in the World And some of you have as many days as you have lived since your Child-hood been frequently guilty of this great evil which thou hast made a small matter of which if ever God pardon it it will appear to be odious guilt from the height of thy Heart-Atheism How oft hast thou heard the Word and thy Heart been after the World and thine eyes gazing up and down that 't is easie to discern thou regardest not what is spoken from God to thee and the same in Prayer How oft hast thou babled over the Lords Prayer like a Charm with no reverence of Gods Majesty upon thy Soul In thy bed it may be in a drowsie manner or if otherwise not understanding the Words thou speakest much less thy Heart affected with them or it may be saying over the Creed and the Commandments or some Book of Prayers as abundance do grievously prophaning God's Name and offering Lip-labour which his soul abhorreth yea know what hath been often proved that thy prayers and all thy worship and good deeds as thou callest them are an abomination to the Lord while thou art in thy sin an unconverted and unholy person yea the way of thy worship in which thou placest thy greatest confidence hath been the highest aggravations of thy sin in offering up to God that which his soul hateth Isa 1.11 12 13 14 15. When you make many prayers saith the Lord I will not hear you c. And as to the sanctifying the Sabbath which thou shouldst make a holy rest unto God thou hast made it a meer fleshly rest consuming the day upon thy lusts in vanity idleness carnal and worldly discourses in families in the streets to the high dishonour of the Name of God and hardening of thy heart against the truths of God rendering thereby the preaching of the Gospel wholly unprofitable to thy soul A carriage far unlike a man that hath the grace of God upon him and a most invincible argument to thy Conscience that thou makest not God his word ordinances sabbaths a holy delight and knowest not the excellency and sweetness of Communion with him say sinner and lay thy Conscience to this conviction is hearing and that with love praying praising meditating conferring of holy things the very Heaven of thy soul and so longest for such Exercises as the joy and strength of thy heart Nothing less Thy own Conscience being Judge but hear drowsily and negligently it may be despisingly revile the Preacher speak evil of the word out of thy gross ignorance and hatred to be reformed speak vainly carnally worldly with such as are like thy self Here 's guilt enough to send thee to a thousand Hells if God smite not thy heart for it and thou turn not unto him for pardon and a better heart to be given to thee Add to all this an unthankful and unholy use of Gods good Creatures it may be thou hast been betray'd by the devil and thy own ready heart to some secret sins which thou thinkest enough if thou canst
that this is a way of God's own ordaining Jesus Christ was set forth for this very end even by God himself and therefore the soul is brought to this conclusion to venture the Issue of its life and eternal salvation upon it and so throws it self as in a sinking condition upon the grace blood righteousness of Jesus Christ sink or swim live or perish saved or damned there the soul casts Anchor there it pitcheth to this it will stand or fall before the righteous God if there be not enough in the blood of Jesus to give it acceptance with God the Soul resolves to Hell it must There saith a poor self-emptied Soul I cast even away my self if it might be upon it Phil. 3.9 3. The soul is brought on to believe the report that God in his word makes concerning his Son Jesus Christ and of the price value merit and all-sufficiency of his blood to save a poor sinner even to the utmost that comes to God by him Heb. 7.25 to answer all the wants and distresses of a poor soul namely in pacifying the Justice of God fulfilling the Law making attonement removing guilt procuring remission of sins reconciling to God Rom. 5.9 10. Much more being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life In all which things the soul is enabled to believe the report of the Gospel that the blood and death of Jesus Christ can do all this for poor sinners that shall pitch upon it 4. In this working of faith the soul comes to see and fasten upon an absolue unlimited Free promise where any sinner that will may come to Jesus Christ and so have the vertue of his death and blood applied to it and therefore that he as well as any other sinner in the world may come to him and make claim to his blood and plead it before God whosoever will let him come Rev. 22. Now saith a poor self-emptied sinner I do not find that I am any where excluded but invited and called upon to come to the Lord Jesus and claim an interest in his blood and that I may plead it even at the throne of his Justice and that I may warrantably safely upon good grounds given out from the mouth of God himself take hold of the Lord Jesus in such a Promise and there is no sin or unworthiness can exclude me unless I will frowardly and wretchedly exclude my self I do not find saith the poor soul that any sin is too great for the Sacrifice of that blood of Jesus so the sinner will come to it yea that 't is the greatest sin and the top of condemnation not to come to it that I more injure God by standing off from Jesus Christ than by all the filthiness blasphemies ungodlinesses my Soul ever wallowed in Heb. 10.29 The Blood of Christ is a price sufficient for the sins of the whole World therefore saith a poor soul for mine He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world and therefore he can take away mine and I am freely called and invited to it and 't is my Rebellion not to come what can I have more And so sense of Peace and Reconciliation falls in upon the Soul 5. The Soul by its often renewing of such Acts of Believing comes at last to see the blood of Jesus Christ appropriated to him now it can stay it self upon the word of promise and can sometimes rejoyce in believing If I roll my self upon the blood of Jesus I have the Word of God for it that I shall be saved we shall be saved from Wrath through him not it may be but we shall be saved and all upon the account of being justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 which justification ariseth upon this believing we have mentioned Thus have I opened the nature of Faith as it is precisely justifying as it applies and appropriates the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus for Remission of sins and Justification unto eternal Life I might insist upon the discovery of the effectual operations of Faith in the Soul as may distinguish it from a meer belief of the History of the death of Jesus Christ take two or three 1. When the Soul by Faith doth act upon the blood of Jesus Christ for justification it doth also bring the power and efficacy of it for purging of the Soul Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offer'd himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God So Acts 15.9 Purifying your hearts by faith There is a purifying vertue in the blood of Jesus Christ upon the souls of Believers they are for the purging away the filth as well as the guilt of sin there 's no believing soul but crys out Purge me Oh Lord purge me and throughly from my filth 2. The soul hath a secret yet real fellowship with the death of Jesus Christ to crucifie and destroy the body of sin in a justified believer which ariseth from its union with Christ Rom. 6.5 6. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection knowing that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Every true believer can really say I am or I would be Crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 Which the Apostle there brings in as an effect of Justification by Faith 3. Every justified believer looks upon this as one great end of his Justification that he might live to God Gal. 2.19 That I might live unto God Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto him but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.11 Every justified Believer doth thus reckon of himself I am to be dead to sin but alive to God I am to yield my self to God verse 13. To have my fruit unto Holiness verse 22. 4. Faith that justifies doth through the Spirit work the Soul to Gospel-obedience to all the Laws and Ordinances of Jesus Christ which shall be revealed to be the Will of Christ from the Command of Jesus Christ and from a principle of love to Jesus Christ John 15.10 5. A justifi'd believer will deny himself for Christ take up his cross and follow him let any sufferings be proposed to a called believer and let him know it is for Jesus Christ and that soul unless under a temporary desertion or temptation will choose and embrace those sufferings and undergo them with some chearfulness Luke 14.26 27. 7. Every justified believer hath a Marriage Vnion with Jesus Christ Ephes 5.25 26 32. The soul hath chosen Jesus Christ having broken off from all other lovers hath betrothed it self unto Christ in an
the heart makes it soft and so it can pour out it self to God in heart-melting confessions at least the poor soul mourns over the hardness of its heart oh that I have thus sinned and yet my heart will not break blessed be every stroak and every word of God and every Ordinance that through grace breaks my heart more A sincere soul sets a high price upon brokenness and yet rests not in it c. 5. Such confession that hath the promise is accompanied with soul abasement He that humbleth himself shall be exalted Luke 18.14 spoken upon the Publicans acceptance with God in his Confession smiting upon his breast in a deep abasement not lifting up his eyes to Heaven So that great promise 2 Chron. 7.14 If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins This is a work of the narrowest search of any other I intend if the Lord will to speak to this more distinctly and fully only now a word of Humiliation as is joyned with such confession that hath the promise of pardon which is the scope we drive at 1. When the Soul is in confession and under the Lords humblings in order to pardon The poor Creature acknowledgeth himself infinitely unworthy that ever the Lord should cast a look upon him or give out mercy and pardon to him This Conclusion is fixed upon the soul and the Soul falls down abased in the sense of it whatever the Lord do with me I will lay my mouth in the dust I am worthy of nothing from the Lord but a thousand Hells this quiets the heart in some measure whatever the pleasure of the Lord be towards him 2. As the poor sinful Creature is worthy of nothing so he will give glory to God if God never pardon God is never the less righteous or holy if he never let out one drop of mercy upon so vile a Creature Thou art holy saith David Psal 22.3 But I am a worm and no man verse 6. A worm fit for God and man to tread upon and yet must not rise up against God nor say to him what doest thou No Man I have unman'd my self with sin I am dust and vanity it self vile dust that 's my make my frame Oh I must give glory to his justice though I perish for ever 3. The poor Creature hath no good no not the least to procure pardon or to move God to pardon Psal 14.3 Saith a poor humbled soul treating for pardon if mercy and pardon must come forth upon terms of my good having or doing any thing but what hath infinitely Sin enough in it to damn me for ever assuredly to Hell I must No Sin enough to send a world of souls to Hell but not a drop of good to move the Lord to mercy If God give out mercy upon a Sight of good I expect not a drop from him 4. It follows from hence when a sinner comes humbled he comes as nothing else but a sinner Luke 18.13 God be merciful to me a sinner One that 's nothing else but a wretched Sinner for so the Publican means it as in a contrary frame to the Pharisee who thanks God that he was not so bad as many were though the Pharisee no doubt would acknowledge some Sin but now the Publican is All a sinner in as bad a condition as any Sinner in the World Poor Souls in these days they hope they have not so much need of Christ as many great sinners they be not nothing else but Sinners they have or do some good The discussion of this will be the next discourse only now a word more Know Sinner that one Sin strikes off all thy pretended good as shall at large through mercy be proved to thee Stick to one drop of good in thee or from thee when thou comest for mercy and pardon and thou losest all Oh to be wholly condemned wholly unrighteous wholly a sinner is a great work 't is the most distinguishing conviction of any other While a man hath any thing to live upon he is not fit to beg so while a soul hath a drop of any thing that in his own sense may the more admit him to pardon he cannot have it Take it thus If one come to your doors and beg and he hath good Cloaths on his Back and he should say I have good Cloaths on my back I have something of my own therefore I pray give me Would you not answer if you have something of your own and are pretty well cloathed why should you beg 't is not for you come and ask alms But if a poor naked wretch come and say and cry Oh I am a poor Creature a poor naked destitute creature I have nothing all 's gone I have lost all pray cover me pray feed me out of great pity you will look upon such a poor Wretch and do something for him if you have any bowels So if a Sinner as that Pharisee did come and say Lord I have done this and this I have not been so wicked as many I do some good therefore pardon that therefore will make the Lord send thee away without mercy No saith God live upon what thou hast if thou hast any thing Oh Sinner thou art not fit to beg to beg mercy and pardon till thou hast just nothing of thy own which the natural pride of thy heart will very hardly come off to 5. In the way of Mens Tribunals of Justice and Courts of Life and Death If a Malefactor be condemned by the Law and he yet plead Though I am proved a Thief or a Murderer yet I have kept the rest of the Law I have broken no Law of the Nation that deserves death beside shall not this rather justifie me than this crime condemn me No saith the Judge That 's nothing to us though thou hast kept the Law in other things thou must dye by the Law as a Transgressor of it for this thou hast done Why then saith the condemned person I must plead all mercy Just so it is at the Tribunal of God comes a poor Soul that is convinced he hath sinn'd Oh but saith he in his heart I have kept the Law in many or most things will not that commend me to God Will not God look upon my good more than my evil No saith God in his word thou hast broken the Law and thou art cursed therefore the Law can shew thee no mercy I can take no notice of any of thy pretended keeping of it in any other thing Oh then must a poor Sinner say then it must be all all of mercy if I am ever pardoned this may be enough to discover such a humiliation that follows confession that hath the promise of pardon 6. One thing more which I shall but mention such a confession of sin as hath the promise of mercy is accompanied with a firm resolution
to phrase it and are subject to whatsoever the Law pronounceth against the transgressors of it 3. All the partial keeping of the Law will not deliver a Soul from that penalty that belongs to the breach of the whole Keep me all or none as to your deliverance from the curse saith the law But this I am further to prove when I speak to the next verse The impossibility of a sinners being accepted by his best keeping of the law Vse 1. Are all Men and Women in the World young and old naturally under the law bound over to the most exact and rigorous fulfilling it under a curse and are indeed under all the curses and threatnings it pronounceth and bound to make God satisfaction in your persons while you are under it Oh! let every poor Sinner be convinced of it what a state is this for any poor soul to rest it self satisfied in who is the man or woman that is not a transgressor of it and therefore see to it and that before the execution of judgment come upon thee without remedy Sinner if thou wast condemned by the Law and under a sense of death how wouldst beg for a reprieve and beg of all thy friends to interpose for thee what an amazing word would it be to thee Thou art condemned to dye Ah sinner 't is the case of thy precious soul Thou art condemn'd to eternal death by the law of God the sentence is pronounc'd from the righteous Judge of Heaven Away Sinner with all speed to a Mercy seat Acknowledge thy condemation just by the Law go to the great and potent Advocate of Heaven Jesus Christ the righteous put thy case into his hand tell him thou bast none else to make to and that thou hast heard he hath helped many a condemned Sinner in the same case as thou art and that thou hast heard he hath laid down a price for such as thou art to redeem them from the curse of the Law Follow him and if he speak but a word to the just and great God for thee the sentence of the law is remitted a pardon of grace comes forth and at last the Holy Ghost shall be sent from the Father and the Son to witness it and seal it in thy own Conscience and that blessed word shall be thine Therefore there is now no condemnation c. who shall condemn me since Jesus Christ hath cleared me and hath made the Court of Heaven for me Go and ponder in thy soul every day and say Is' t nothing to be under a Curse condemned by a Law to be damned for ever shall I let my poor soul lie in such a case one hour longer especially when a way I hear is open'd to me to get from under it Say what satisfaction can I wretched creature make to the righteous God None but by suffering what infinite justice will lay upon me which is no less than infinite punishment Oh! get in upon thy conscience what it is to be condemned by the great God to lye under guilt to have no plea or excuse by the Law left thee which I will labour to prove to thy conscience and then further urge thee which is the import of the next point Obser 2. A transgressor of the law as he hath nothing to boast in so he hath nothing to excuse himself for his sin or from the righteous judgment of God due unto him which is drawn from these words That every mouth may be stopped c. This the Apostle intimates Rom. 2.1 Therefore thou art inexcusable O man c. speaking to the Jew who went about to free himself And the judgment of God is according to truth against them which do such things verse 2. Reason 1. A poor sinner hath nothing to excuse himself for sinning against the law of God because the law is good and righteous Rom. 7.12 Therefore the law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good saith Paul when he was under such a Conviction of sinning against it as we are pressing So 1 Tim. 1.8 But we know that the law is good c. 'T is a Law that gives glory to the Creator and all good and blessedness as in it self to the Creature A Law that 's full of all wisdom and blessedness takes care for the good blessing peace order of the whole Creation that man might not sin against his Maker nor in the least harm nor think to do so his fellow creature so that its proper end is goodness preservation to all Now what excuse for a creature most concern'd in the good of it for sinning against such a Law what hath a creature to say for himself how inexcusable is he before God Angels and Men 2. God writ this holy and blessed Law in the heart of Adam as he was a publick person whereby he and in him all mankind had power to keep it therefore the sinner hath no excuse before God He gave man a power though he did not lay a necessity upon his will but left them to the liberty of it but man corrupted himself Gen. 6.12 Whereby he disabled himself from keeping the Law Now if a man disable himself it can be no rational excuse for neglecting the duty so that his Mouth is stopped as to any plea or excuse before the Lord. 3. Though man had blurred and defaced the fair and original Copy of this holy and good law written in his heart yet God gave it forth again by Moses in Legible Characters one end whereof was to leave all Mankind without excuse therefore this strikes off all plea for the sinner especially to such to whom it is revealed 4. There is a remnant of this Law yet in the heart of Adam which though not sufficient to enable him to an exact performance of it yet enough to leave him without excuse so Paul Rom. 2.15 to prove this point we are now upon speaking of the Gentiles Which shew the works of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another There is enough of the law remaining in every mans heart to accuse him when he doth evil and excuse him so far as he doth right though man by habitual sinning doth much stifle it so that this also helps to aggravate his sin and to leave him without all plea or excuse 5. There is that to be known of God in the creatures that may and doth leave a sinner without all excuse for sinning against him this the Apostle argues as to this very purpose Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and god head so that they are without excuse c. The creatures could not say we will make our selves thus and thus and subsist in such an order and harmony therefore there was one first Infinite Being who made all things
the law Now mark you The same Law can't at once justifie and condemn bless and curse quit and judge save and condemn if it therefore condemn in the least it cannot quit by all that ever a soul hath done or may do towards fufilling it I instanced before if a man that lives under the law of England all the laws of it and he be found a transgressor of one law that is to be punished with death it will not be a good plea for him that he never brake any other law that deserves death No saith the Judge you must dye for this so as I have shew'd the law pronounceth death to the breach of any one Commandment any part of one as well as to the breach of the whole Therefore he that pleads as the Pharisee did and was never the more accepted that he is no murtherer no blasphemer no thief no adulterer 't is all one as if thou hast ever had an unholy thought in thy heart as thou hast had thousands as thou art under the Law thou art condemned if this indeed had been the tenour of the law as it was a Covenant between God and the first Adam that if thou and thy posterity shall endeavour to keep the law as well as you can though you sail in some part yet you shall be accepted then this had been a good plea before God that you have so endeavour'd to keep it but 't is not so the Covenant doth not run so but as hath been shewed it runs thus Here 's a holy and righteous law saith God the matter of the Covenant between us if you break it in any one least part of it and but once you are condemn'd and all your other righteousness shall not be imputed to you This hath been proved from several Scriptures and I think 't is the hardest thing in the World to be spiritually and practically convinced of it such is the exactness of the Law that it admits of no bartering of no terms whatsoever it still crys fulfill me to the utmost or dye 3. The third Reason which strikes off all hope of acceptance with God by keeping the Law as well as you can is taken from the sinfulness of those very duties and works which you place such acceptance in There is a sinfulness in every such duty though the matter of the duty be good yet the manner of performing it by any natural man is wholly sinful yea there 's a mixture of sin in the most holy performances of any regenerate soul in the world which he is sensible of but I am dealing with the natural man as to his opinion of his good keeping the law I say there 's nothing but sin in their performances the principle they proceed from is wholly sinful viz. a corrupted polluted heart and nature Can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.18 Can a corrupt fountain send forth sweet waters James 3.11 No more can a corrupt defiled heart bring forth any duty or work but what is loathsome to God full of all impurity This a natural man is not able to see nor consider of till convinc'd by the Holy Ghost and therefore 't is that he rests only in performing the matters and bulk of duties to God and his Neighbour but with what heart and the unholiness of it he weighs not Upon this account it is that the Scriptures speak at such a rate of natural Men that they are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 That his soul hates them he cannot away with them they are iniquity they are a trouble to him Isa 1. And that he casts them back as dung upon their faces Mal. 2.3 Therefore if there be more than sin enough in that best keeping of the Law towards God or Man to damn a soul for ever Certainly a soul shall be never the better nor at all accepted for such a keeping of it That which in it self hath sin nothing but sin in the manner of it cannot be a means to quit a soul from other sin by which he hath brought guilt upon himself let this be well considered and nothing but a Christ would be your cry to purpose indeed 4. The fourth Reason or Convincement of this truth that the best endeavour to keep the law will not give you more acceptance with God nor take away any guilt from off thy soul is because such duties and keeping the Law are but of the outward man which is far from reaching the Compass of the law The law is spiritual Rom. 7.14 that is it reacheth to the inwards parts to the motions of the heart as hath been before hinted and not only to the outward man therefore our blessed Lord seeing the Jews insisting so much that they were outwardly blameless spends a large discourse Mat. 5.6 7. to beat them off their confidence in being outwardly righteous and proves a man a murderer by the Law for one wrathful thought in his heart Mat. 5.21 22. Upon this conviction you have him as oft as he spake to the Jews that we may see the weight of this Doctrine See Luke 16.19 15. And the Pharisees also who were covetuous heard all these things and they derided him And he said unto them ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of God Jesus Christ was convincing the wickedness of a covetous heart the Jews who were carnal and formal made a slight matter of this seeing they were outwardly blameless and wronged no body Ay but saith Christ God knoweth your hearts and his eye is most upon them and though you are outwardly righteous before men and this is a matter highly esteemed of among men that you are righteous and blameless yet 't is an abomination to God see how severe the Lord is in pressing of this it being the great let of his Ministery and of the Jews stumbling at the Gospel as it is with us Mat. 23. his last Sermon I conceive he preacht to them verse 25. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye make clean the outside of the cup and platter but within they are full of extortion and excess so with the same woe pronounced verse 27. Ye are like unto whited sepulchers which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness verse 28. Even so also ye outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of Hypocrisie and iniquity Mark the Lords words within ye are thus and thus as if the Lord should say God regards not what you are outwardly and your observing the law with the outward man seeing you have abundance of all iniquity within which every unregenerate soul in the world hath so you may see that an outward keeping of the law stands for nothing in the account of God whatever it do with men and your selves which you hear Jesus Christ gives
upon the sinner himself Another place to this purpose is Gal. 2. last I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain If there were a possibility of a Creatures attaining to such a degree of keeping the law as well as he can that might render him accepted with God and procure pardon wherein he failed then the dying of Jesus Christ was in vain to no purpose at all Take heed you that are outwardly righteous that you do not frustrate the grace of God and the death of Jesus Christ for ever to your own souls by thinking you endeavour to keep Gods law as well as you can and make some conscience of it and there fix your hope wholly or in part and so be undone for ever Another place in the same Epistle Gal. 4.4 5. speaks out the same truth But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons What need Jesus Christ to have dyed to redeem the elect from under the law if they had been able to reach forth to such a keeping of it that God might be well pleased with and with them in it Now Jesus Christ's being made under the Law implies these things which I now but hint forth 1. His being under the punishment of the Law which was due to such as were under it what ever the Law pronounced to the Transgressors of it Jesus Christ in effect did undergo it See Gal. 3. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the law being made a curse for us If good prayers making a conscience in dealing outward sobriety harming no body giving of Alms to poor people could have taken away the curse did the wise and blessed God do well in giving out his Son to be made a curse were prayers righteousness good deeds made a Curse They will be indeed in another sense if thou thinkest to be accepted by them 2. Jesus Christ being made under the Law was to satisfie Gods offended justice for the breach of the Law for such as shall be saved to make attonement for God Rom. 5.11 If now all that thou hast done or shalt ever do could make the least satisfaction or attonement to God in thy good keeping the Commandments as well as thou canst as hath been shew'd God might have kept his Son in Heaven and not sent him to make attonement for any sinners 3. To reconcile sinners unto God Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son c. If reconciliation to God can be had no other way but by the death of Jesus Christ will thy good endeavours for the time to come to keep the Law of God as well as thou canst and take up from a loose course will those I say reconcile thee to God See poor creature how little need thou thinkest thou hast of Jesus Christ and what a meer notion a Saviour is to thee when it comes to the Tryal 4. Jesus Christ died to work out Righteousness for all that shall be saved Now if thou could'st come up to such a degree of being righteous by thy fair and good carriage as thou thinkest to God and Man this righteousness of Jesus Christ was to little purpose Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Now see mistaken Soul how they hope to please God well enough and make him amends for thy sin by thy good endeavours to serve him in his Law as well as thou may'st makes void the whole design of God in the glorious gift of his eternal Son as much as in thee lyeth and robs him of the Glory of his Grace and makes thy Salvation if it might be had in such a way not of Grace but of Debt Rom. 4.4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of debt but of grace and thus thou in effect becomest thy own Saviour Yet bear with me a little further because a sinner can never be too thoroughly convinced of this matter let me shew you some examples in the Scriptures of such that thought as you do and as all men naturally do that they by their honest and conscionable endeavour to worship God and harm no body they should be saved and yet were found light in the ballance The first is that Pharisee Luke 18.11 He thanks God he was not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. Here was hope for his acceptance with God He was not so bad as others as many riotous prophane persons were not unjust in his dealings no Adulterer and should any one question his Salvation and going to Heaven Enough for great sinners to miss of Heaven and not such as he was reputed a good and honest man in his Country and amongst his Neighbours well thought of by most And yet for all this confidence and security a great sinner was accepted before him and he not justified in the sight of the God though he was in his own sight and the sight of others See another Mat. 19.20 which place hath been at large opened to you There came a young man a man of parts with the same confidence to reason with Jesus Christ about his condition the man conceived he wanted nothing that a man should have or do for Heaven All these things said he I have kept from my youth up meaning especially the second Table of the Law which Christ gave out not as thereby to put him upon the Law but to find him out and discover him under the Law When Jesus Christ searched the mans heart and finds him under the power of the love of the world as a reigning Soul damning Sin for all his outward blamelesness and so to discover his heart to himself puts him upon tryal of Self-denial away the man packs as mute as a fish and would hear no more as worldlings now of such Doctrine unless he could be a Disciple and part with nothing lose or venture nothing he would rest as he was and hope his being an honest sober man and well thought of would bring him to Heaven and so for ought appears cheated his Soul to Hell The case of Paul hath been often shew'd you he was as many of you think your selves blameless Phil. 3.6 lived in no known sin outwardly against the Law frequented the publick Worship made Conscience of his dealings was zealous of the traditions and customs of his Fathers and yet do you not hear him crying out of it all as loss ver 7. and 8. He thought it was his gain before that it would have gained him Heaven but now t is all loss his keeping the Church his outward blamelesness stands him not in the least stead but cryes out 't is All all loss for Jesus Christ the same Paul that before boasted and thought
up themselves to him Only a word to any poor humbled doubting soul that thinks infinitely well of all this but saith in his heart all this grace is too good for me I have sinned against it and slighted it I fear whether ever I may be accepted Oh remember and consider that Grace were not Grace if 't were not free God can save a sinner freely that 's enough to stay thee yea though thou hast slighted grace as where is the Saint but did so before effectually called yea God will save a sinner freely that will come by Jesus Christ unto him He will What would'st have more Do not stand reasoning thus but if thou art a sinner undone without him cast off from thy own Confidences go to him in the Name of God and believe him upon his own Word Say I take thee Blessed Lord upon thy own Word thou sayest Whosoever will let him come And Lord therefore I come I durst not come were I not invited freely and if I must be saved freely if ever then thou art to bestow all work all begin and perfect all Oh blessed Lord I come unto thee for it go and do thus and thou shalt be comforted and rejoice in his Salvation I might also here press blessed Souls who have been drawn to Jesus Christ and overcome by Free-grace to do it to live in the Admiration of that grace and to be low and poor and emptied in your selves in the abundant sense of it all your days Let your enjoyments and attainments be what they will be it known unto you that by grace ye are saved and you had and have as much need of it as any sinner in the World God's Design in saving you was to glorifie Grace and it must be your Design also here and for ever Having thus opened in some measure the grace of God to be the Fountain of a sinner's Salvation I shall now proceed to discover the way of the conveyance of this grace which is by Jesus Christ Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Though God resolved to bestow grace upon such as shall be saved freely yet in a way of his own most wise and blessed Designing by his Eternal Son Jesus Christ to whom this Dispensation of Grace was committed which I shall further open in this Doctrine Namely Doct. All that Grace and Mercy which GOD gives out freely to sinners is conveyed to them by his Eternal Son Jesus Christ I might be abundant in the proof of this See in that 5th of the Rom. v. 17 21. Much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ And vers 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might Grace through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord All the Grace that should reign unto Life is given out by one Jesus Christ The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 All the Treasures of Grace were laid up in him and therefore he saith of himself Matth. 11.27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father and none can come unto the Father but by me which he makes as the great Argument why sinners should come unto him vers 28. Now so far as the Lord hath revealed the wise and holy Counsels of his heart in his Word unto us let us enquire into the Reasons why he took such a way to give all his grace to the children of men Reason 1. The first is this That as Mankind lost all in the Fall of the first Adam as he was a publick person representing all that came of him So it was the Wisdom of God in the recovery of lost-man to bring forth another person that should be fully stockt with Grace and Righteousness as a publique person to represent all the Elect unto the Father upon which account Jesus Christ is called the Second Adam 1 Cor. 15. And the Apostle sets the first Adam in his offence unto Death and the Grace and Righteousness of Jesus Christ as the Second Adam one against the other Rom. 5.15 16 c. For as by one mans Disobedience many were made sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous And so the Apostle sets the Life Grace Righteousness of Jesus Christ as the Second Adam against the Death Condemnation Disobedience of the first man that sinned in the seven last Verses of that Chapter And herein the Wisdom of the Father is most excellently set forth and the ground of Consolation to Believers laid upon a most sure Foundation That whatsoever they lost in the First Adam they recover with much more abundance in Jesus Christ for so the Apostle hath that much more in the Scripture mentioned three or four times that Saints may see how abundantly compleat they are in Christ Reason 2. All Grace is conveyed by Jesus Christ because there needed a person to stand between GOD and Sinners as a Mediator to work forth Reconciliation between them Now who was meet but the Lord Jesus Christ to undertake this He being the Eternal Son of God equal with God was near unto God A meer creature was infinitely unfit for such an undertaking and he being also the Son of man cloathed in the nature of man he thus partaking of the nature of God who was to be appeased and of the nature of Man who was to be reconciled he became a most meet Undertaker of so glorious a Work Whence he hath that blessed Title given him of Mediator Jesus the Mediator of a New Covenant Heb. 12.24 There is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 3. God resolved that his blessed Son Jesus Christ should have the Honour in this blessed Transaction to convey his Grace to lost Sinners James 5.22 23. That all men should honour the Son So the Apostle fully Col. 1.16 17 18 19 20. All things were for him And that in all things he might have the preheminence c. For by him and to him and for him are all things This Honour the Father committed to the Son to bring about this great Contrivance of bringing Man back again unto God 4. God letting out his Grace by Jesus Christ renders his love more abundant and acceptable to poor Sinners John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. So loved it that he could not give forth a greater manifestation of his love Now the Father purposed to render his love to sinners by the gift of his Son most full and glorious and therefore gave him out of his Bosom and all the Riches of his Love and Grace by him 5. This way of the Father's Dispensation of Grace by his Son Jesus Christ hath rendered the Grace of God most sure and unchangeable to his own The Covenant of Grace being now established between the Father and
the presence of God's Majesty but by Jesus Christ who is appointed Mediator to bring a poor sinner to himself to make way for him into the presence of God to conveigh Mercy and Grace to a poor sinner Oh say that I could acquaint my self with Jesus Christ take hold of his skirts and he will bring me into the favour love covenant vision union of God this is the way for a sinner to come unto him John 14.6 5. Let it call upon Saints that know Jesus Christ in the Spirit that they do not grow strangers to him that they neglect not Jesus Christ Oh! Neglect him not in his blessed Mediation Grace Love Fellowship Appearance Ordinances 'T is a grievous thing and very apt are Saints to it to neglect Jesus Christ Oh! still know and consider that as your access to God was by him at first so it is still His Mediation for you his love and grace and fellowship is as good as ever as precious as it ever was therefore have high and precious thoughts of him of your blessed access to God by Jesus Christ The next thing that I come to open is how Jesus Christ wrought forth Salvation and Justification for a Sinner so that the free grace of God might by him be freely let out upon a sinner namely the work of his Redemption through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ verse 24. I shall not insist upon the many difficulties that the wisdom of the flesh hath started about the word or work of our Redemption but endeavour as I have promised to give it out in a plain Scriptural practical manner for the use of poor sinners Redemption signifies a deliverance from Captivity by a price or ransom laid down Man had sinn'd himself into captivity and a just condemnation God from his own free Mercy was willing he should be set at Liberty but this should not be done but by a price or ransom being paid to God which was the intervening death of Jesus Christ who being the eternal Son of God came down from Heaven took upon him the nature of man was willing to stand in the room of sinners bearing their sins in the undergoing the punishment for them whereby God laid upon Jesus Christ the Iniquities of all that shall be saved Isa 53.6 proceeded against him as if he had been the sinner in a way of Justice executed his wrath upon him Thus he is said to dye for the sins of his own 2 Cor. 5.15 Heb. 9.15 and to give himself for us and to give his life a ransom for many which death of Jesus Christ is styled an expiatory Sacrifice an attonement and Propitiation all which do imply that by the death of Jesus Christ satisfaction was made to the infinite Justice of God as if the sinners that are saved by it had suffered the utmost of Divine Justice in their own persons Thus much may serve briefly to open the nature of Christ's Redemption The Doctrine I shall lay down from the words will be this Doct. To the Salvation and Justification of a sinner in order to God's letting out his free grace upon him there was required the death of Jesus Christ as a price laid down to the justice of God for his Redemption I might urge many more Texts besides what have been named As 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Redeemed not with silver and gold c. but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of our sins This was it which was typified by all the Sacrifices in the Old-Testament-Dispensation as in the Epistle to the Hebrews at large especially in the 9th Chapter vers 12 13 14 22. And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission From hence the Reasons of Divine Wisdom thus proceeding so far as revealed in the Word will be clear Reason 1. That the Justice of God might be glorified in the Salvation of sinners as well as Mercy Now there being attonement made to Justice by the death of Jesus Christ the Righteousness of God hath a share in the glory of mans Salvation with the Grace and Mercy of God 2. The Purity and Holiness of God's justice did require it which being violated by the sin of Man it was most equal that satisfaction be made which no meer creature was able to do and therefore the eternal Son of God blessed for ever was appointed of the Father to it Therefore 't is said verse 25. of this third of the Romans That he might be just and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus given as a reason of God's setting forth his Son to be a propitiation 3. The express word of the Lord did require it who pronounced to all mankind in Adam that the transgressor should surely die Gen. 2.17 Therefore upon his transgression the sinner must either die in his own person or another in his stead which God in his infinite wisdom might order as he pleas'd Now God being willing to glorifie his mercy chose to lay this punishment on his own Son Jesus Christ and not on the condemned Sinner which Jesus Christ also voluntarily undertaking the word of the Lord was fully made good and Jesus Christ dying for the sinner being made a curse for him 't was all one as if the sinner himself had died 4. God gave out a holy and righteous Law written in the heart of Adam which Law was just and holy and good Rom. 7. Now this Law being broken God would not dispence with it in shewing mercy to the sinner unless his Law was satisfied which Jesus Christ undertook Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfill'd in us c. Gal. 4.4 But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the Law c. So that the Law was fulfilled by Jesus Christ as if the sinner had kept it fully in his own person by Christ's becoming obedient to the death of the Cross and so suffering the punishment of the Law still in the stead and name of the sinner and by his keeping the Law in the pure original righteousness of his nature 2 Cor. 5.21 and Heb. 7.26 27. and by his actual obedience to it in the perfect observing of it Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many were made righteous Namely by the obedience of Jesus Christ which he gave unto the Law Now all sinners being condemned by the Law the Law could not remit them till it was satisfied it call'd for punishment and full obedience which Jesus Christ gave unto it 5. God could not so
freely to speak after the manner of men let out grace and mercy unless such satisfaction had been given by Jesus Christ Now it can come easily delightfully chearfully from the righteous and gracious God seeing his justice will not plead against it but for it being blessedly satisfied and Jesus Christ by his death did fully merit it and deserve it at the hands of God and laid down as much as God in infinite justice would require therefore 't is now as well justice as mercy for God to remit a Sinner that comes to God by Jesus Christ 1 John 1.7 God is just to forgive us our sins Now hereupon God having ordained and accepted of such a way of attonement his justice glorified and satisfied his word that the sinner should die made good his Law to the utmost satisfied what remains but that the blessed God can remit the bondage guilt condemnation of the sinner having thus accepted of satisfaction what remains but that he should pronounce as he doth Job 33.24 Deliver him for I have found a Ransom God can now pardon the sinner that comes believingly by Jesus Christ to him for it without any regret his justice shall be glorified by it as well as his mercy God hath charg'd all upon another and accepted of full payment call'd himself to witness of it and will never repent of it Object If any should Object Wherein is free-grace glorified if God hath received full satisfaction to his justice Answ I answer 1. 'T was infinite free grace for God to give out his blessed Son Jesus Christ when there was no obligation upon him he gave him and sent him freely John 3.16 from his own free love therefore there 's infinite of free grace in Man's salvation 2. 'T was infinite grace towards the sinner to accept of satisfaction by a surety Heb. 5. and not on the sinner the party offending himself what abundant grace and love to lay the sins and guilt upon another especially the only Son of his bosom who was without all sin 2 Cor. 2.21 and not to condemn the poor helpless sinner for ever 3. 'T was infinite free grace for God himself to contrive the way of such a Redemption Had it been left to sinful man to have found out a way how justice might be satisfied he could never have done it It could never have entred into the heart of Man or Angels to have offered to God a satisfactory way for the making up of his wronged justice but he must have perished for ever 4. The Father was at Liberty to impute this Redemption of Christ to whom he would to this sinner and not to another Rom. 9. He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy c. So that 't is indeed a debt to Christ but all of free mercy and grace to any sinner that is saved Vse 1. If then Salvation and remission of sins came in this way by the death and blood of Jesus Christ then it may discover to us the infinite hatred that God bears to sin that to make expiation and attonement to his justice there could no sacrifice be found but the death of his eternal Son Jesus Christ Oh! that ever a sinner should delight in that which the holy God so much hates and abhors 2. Let it be for convincement to poor sinners of the infinite necessity of this way of Redemption by Jesus Christ in laying down his life to satisfie the justice of God and of getting their part in it you have heard the case of a Sinner condemn'd by the Law liable to eternal death subject to the rigour of divine Justice no way able or in a capacity to make satisfaction to God mercy as it were bound up by justice Oh! therefore what necessity of a Mediator of a Redeemer to work forth deliverance to lay down a Ransom for sinners dye and undergo the curse and wrath of the great and dreadful God fulfill the Law make satisfaction to the wronged justice of God to the utmost this Jesus Christ hath done for miserable sinners that will come unto him Now the most of poor souls have but a Notion of Christ's dying but know not what is meant by Christ dying for me though sometimes in their Mouths Oh! sinner for Christ to die for thee if thou gettest a part in his Death is to undergo the punishment and curse and death that thy soul was liable to which otherwise must have come upon thee to the utmost it was to be made sin and a curse for thee to bear thy Sins and stand in them Oh! that thou couldst really be convinc'd of the necessity of this Redemption that thou couldst never come to God without it and therefore to get thy poor soul stated in it 3. If satisfaction to Gods justice can only be by the blood of Jesus Christ then let me again press you that you take heed of performing your duties and repentings as if thereby you did satisfie and pacifie God for the sin of your souls This is the most dangerous snare upon poor souls that though they have sinned yet they hope God will be pacified with some praying and sorrowing and amendment Now though this shall be in a spiritual manner upon every pardoned sinner and 't is a capacity God puts the sinner into when he applies the death of his Son and so gives out mercy and pardon yet you must most carefully take heed that you offer not up such duties as if they did make God amends and pacifie him for your sins but look above and beyond them as if they were not and so to cast your eye to the great sacrifice of the blood of Jesus Christ which Alone makes attonement to God and makes way for a poor sinner to come to him 4. That as sinners would learn the blessed Mystery of this Redemption and the necessity of it and how it makes attonement merits mercy and pardon procures peace and reconciliation with God so they would come and accept of it and fall down before the righteous God and plead it to him Thou hast heard the way of God's letting out mercy to sinners and no mercy but in that way but by justice being satisfied by the death and blood of Jesus Christ whereby he becomes the Saviour of sinners now this blood is offered up to God the price is paid and accepted with God and in the Gospel of God 't is revealed and preach't to the guilty world and 't is freely offered to any poor sinner that will come and accept of it and make claim to it and plead for mercy and forgiveness upon the account of it and will come to the terms of it which is to be accepted and pardoned alone by vertue of it to be washed and sanctified and actually deliver'd not only from the guilt and condemnation of sin but the power and reign and pollution of it Oh Sinner be awakened and stirred up by the word of the Lord to get actual deliverance from the
God with good Josiah This is that most poor sinful Creatures do bolster up themselves with in their Ignorance and Security that they do all to God and Men with good hearts whereas a renewed Soul doubts of the goodness of his heart and hath matter of humbling for it in every duty 2. Another mistake of poor souls is as to the Gospel-New-Creature from a misprision of sins of infirmities for such as are indeed reigning damning sins As to instance to lye for advantage to swear petty Oaths sometimes by Faith and Troth by the Mass to mention God's Name frequently as a by-word crying Oh Lord Oh God slightly vainly or sometimes to drink to excess or the like evils 'T is common to hear wretched Souls when convinc'd of them to excuse the matter Why 't is their infirmity whereas it proceeds from a heart wholly unregenerate and under the power and reign of sin Infirmities of the Children of God are not allowed by them but humbled mourned for every day watch'd against the root of them they endeavour to mortifie through the Spirit which the common professor that calls all his sins his infirmities doth not Oh! Souls there 's a vast difference between the infirmities of such as are indeed New-Creatures and between the reigning sins of natural men sin reigns in its peace power habit in the heart no subduing crucifying purging which a New-Creature doth and hath 3. This mistake of the New-Creature doth arise from a misconcieving of the reluctancy of a natural conscience before or in the committing of sin taking it for the Conflict that is in a truly regenerate Soul between the Regenerate and Carnal part which mistake usually is bottomed upon a misunderstanding of that place of Paul Rom. 7.15 For that which I do I allow not c. Hence say many unregenerate graceless persons Why though they do break out into such and such things and omit such and such duties yet they do not allow themselves in it that is their Conscience is not wholly seared and so make some resistance and this they take to be saving grace a gross and most dangerous mistake now take such a person and he hath not a delight in the Law of God in the inward man as Paul had verse 22. doth not cry out as inwardly burthen'd wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death No such daily complaints and groanings under the weight of it No eying God through Jesus Christ for deliverance from it No serving the Law of God with a Renewed inward Man No walking after the Spirit so that unless it be so with you that no allowance in the conscience and yet do it it comes to nothing and an Hypocrite may and doth as much till given up to a seared conscience past feeling 4. From a mistake of Faith taking that for sound and saving which is common to a Reprobate such as James describes in his Epistle speaking of Men who say they have faith and have not really a Faith that believes God is the Scriptures the dying and rising of Jesus Christ and all other Gospel truths as it pretends yea that he believes on Jesus Christ and hopes to be saved by him as well as the holiest and upon this they have a kind of peace I have spoken before of justifying Faith only a word as to the New-Creature know therefore that Faith that doth not teach a soul to deny it self that doth not purifie the heart that doth not live upon Jesus Christ and so created into him is not the faith of the New-Creature but a common dead putrifying faith that suffers the soul to putrifie in sin and works not to the cleansing of it 5. To instance in some other graces as namely Repentance which souls do take to be only a wishing the sin had not been committed with a little fear and sorrow after it and this they think to be true repentance which when true is accompanied with loathing of the sin and our selves and our corrupt natures brokenness of heart for it and from it and turning to God by Jesus Christ and eyes the honour patience holiness love of God in its sorrowing more than his wrath and hath for its effects carefulness indignation against it self vehement desire after more holiness by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 7.11 6. A false and carnal hope of Heaven mistaken for a gracious saving hope deceives the soul in this matter Many poor souls yea it may be feared the most think they shall go to Heaven because they hope so and think they ought to hope Now a saving hope of pardon and Heaven is rightly bottom'd namely upon the riches of Gods Grace Titus 3.7 Upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ Gal. 5.5 Upon some special promise of God Upon experience of God Rom. 5. And purifying the soul 1 John 3.3 as I may have occasion more at large to speak Oh! this false and carnal cursed hope that is not thus bottom'd serves only to shut up the heart against the power of the Word and a saving closing with Jesus Christ till a Soul is dasht in this hope it will never get a better 7. A form of knowledge especially if increas'd under the Ministry of the Word may much deceive a soul in this great and weighty concernment so Paul speaks of the Jews Rom. 2.20 having a form of knowledge and of the truth of the law Many have a Catechistical form of Knowledge they can describe what Faith and Repentance and Regeneration is and then think they have it themselves because they can tell what it is and do believe it to be such There may be much knowledge in the head and yet no renewing grace in the heart That knowledge that is saving brings with it a power upon the Soul to love delight in to experience the goodness vertue sweetness of what it knows It transforms the soul into the image of what is known 2 Cor. 3. last It is spiritual and it makes the heart the affections spiritual 8. A Misconceit of the grace of love is also a false ground in this matter As that a poor soul will think that he loves God when he hath no knowledge of him nor delight in him nor communion with him nor doth love his Image which is holiness and that he loves all every one whereas much envy and malice reigns in the heart if but a little provoked and for the people of God truly so called they hate them for Hypocrites Schismaticks and what not or if a little better thoughts of them 't is not love to Christ and his Image in them that acts them which is the nature of the grace of love But yet are justified in their conscience to be the people of God 9. So is patience humility meekness mistaken some natural dispositions are most patient and meek and these poor Creatures are apt to mistake for grace when 't is nothing but meer nature and more candid disposition and such Souls