conditions betwen the Father and Christ. Wherefore when he cometh into the vvorld he saith Sacrifices and Offerings thou wouldest not that is the Old Covenant must not stand but give way to another Sacrifice vvhich thou hast prepared which is the giving up my Manhood to the stroaks of thy Justice for a body hast thou prepared me Heb. 13. 20 21. This doth prove us under Grace Secondly On the Mediators side that he should be put to death and on God the Fathers side that he should raise him up again this was concluded on also to be done between God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. On Christs side that he should die to give the justice of the Father satisfaction and so to take away the curse that was due to us wretched sinners by reason of our transgressions and that God his Father being every ways fully and compleatly satisfied should by his mighty power revive and raise him up again He hath brought again our Lord Jesus that is from death to life through the vertue or effectual satisfaction that he received from the blood that was shed according to the terms of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13. 21 22. Thirdly On the Mediators side that he should be made a curse and on the Fathers side that through him sinners should be inheritors of the blessing what wonderful love doth there appear by this in the heart of our Lord Jesus in suffering such things for our poor bodies and souls Gal. 3. 13 14. This is Grace Fourthly That on the Mediators side there should be by him a victory over Hell Death and the Devil and the curse of the Law and on the Fathers side that these should be communicated to sinners and they set at liberty thereby Zech. 9. 12. Turn to the strong hold saith God ye prisoners of hope even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee Why so It is because of the blood of my Sons Covenant verse 11. which made Paul though sensible of a body of death and of the sting that death did strike into the souls of all those that are found in their sins bold to say O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin that is true and the terrible Law of God doth aggravate and set it home with unsupportable torment and pain but shall I be daunted at this No I thank my God through Jesus Christ he hath given me the victory so that now though I be a sinner in my self yet I can by believing in Jesus Christ the Mediator of this New Covenant triumph over the Devil Sin Death and Hell and say do not fear my soul seeing the victory is obtained over all my enemies through my Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. This is the way to prove our selves under Grace Fifthly that on the Mediators side he should by thus doing bring in everlasting righteousness for Saints Dan. 9. 24. and that the Father for this should give them an everlasting Kingdom 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. Eph. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 4. 18. Luke 22. 28 29. But in the next place this was not all that is the Covenant of Grace with the conditions thereof was not only concluded on by both parties to be done but Jesus Christ he must be authorized to do what was concluded on touching this Covenant by way of Office I shall therefore speak a word or two also touching the Offices at least some of them that Christ Jesus did and doth still execute as the Mediator of the New Covenant which also was typed out by the Levitical Law for this is the way to prove that we are not under the Law but under Grace And first His first Office after the Covenant was made and conâ—â—ded upon was that Jesus should become bound as a Surety and stand ingaged upon Oath to see that all the conditions of the Covenant that was concluded on between him and his Father should according to the agreement be accomplished by him And secondly that after that he should be the messenger from God to the world for to declare the mind of God touching the tenor and nature of both the Covenants especially of the New one the Scripture saith that Jesus Christ was not only made a Priest by an Oath but also a surety or bonds-man as in the 7 of Hebrews at the 21. 22. verses in the 21. verse he speaketh of the priesthood of Christ that it was with an Oath faith in the 22. verse By so much also was Jesus made the surety of a better Testament or Covenant Now the Covenant was not only made on Jesus Christs side with an Oath but also on God the Fathers side that it might be for the better ground of stablishment to all those that are or are to be the children of the Promise Methinks it is wonderful to consider that the God and Father of our souls by Jesus Christ should be so bent upon the salvation of sinners that he would covenant with his Son Jesus for the security of them and also that there should pass an Oath on both sides for the confirmation of their resolution to do good as if the Lord had said My Son thou and I hâ—â—e here made a Covenant that I on my paâ—â— should do thus and thus and that thou on thy part shouldest do so and so now that we may give these souls the best ground of comfort that may be there shall pass an Oath on both sides that our children may see that we do indeed love them Wherein God willing more ABUNDANTLY to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel in making of the Covenant confirmed it by an Oath That we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Heb. 7. 21. Mark the sixth Chapter saith God confirmed his part by an Oath and the seventh saith Christ was made or set on his Office also by an Oath Again Once saith God have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David Psal. 89. 34 35. nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth as was before cited Herein you may see that God and Christ was in good earnest about the salvation of sinners for so soon asever the Covenant was made the next thing was who should be bound to see all those things fulfilled which was conditioned on between the Father and the Son The Angels they would have no hand in it The world could not do it The Devils had rather see them damned then they would wish them the least good thus Christ looked and there was none to help though the burthen lay never so heavy upon his shoulder he must bear it himself for there was none besides himself to uphold or so much as to step in to be bound to see the conditions before mentioned fulfilled neither in whole
now is killed to his own righteousness and counts that but dung but dross not worth the dirt hanging on shoes O then says he Thou filthy righteousness Isa. 64. 6. how hast thou deceived me How hast thou beguiled my poor soul How did I deceive my self with giving of a little alms with abstaining from some gross polutions with walking in some ordinances as to the outside of them How hath my good words good thinkings good meanings as the world calls them deceived my ignorant soul I want the righteousness of faith the righteousness of God for I see now there is no less will do me any good Fourthly It is also killed to its own faith its notion of the Gospel it s own hope it s own repentings it s own promises and resolutions to its own strength it s own vertue or whatsoever it had before now saith the soul That faith I thought I had it is but fancy that hope I thought I had I see it is but hypocritical but vain and groundless hope now the soul sees it hath by nature no saving faith no saving hope no grace at all by nature by the first Covenant Now it crieth out How many promises have I broken and how many times have I resolved in vain when I was sick at such a time and in such a streight at such a place Indeed I thought my self a wise man once but I see my self a very fool now O how ignorant am I of the Gospel now and of the blessed experience of the Work of God on a Christians heart In a word it sees it self beset by nature with all evil and destitute of all good which is enough to kill the stoutest hardest hearted sinner that ever lived on the earth O Friends should you be plainly dealt withal by this discovery of the dealing of God with a sinner when he makes him a Saint and would seriously try your selves thereby as God will try you one day how few would there be found of you to be so much as acquainted with the work of God in the Notion much less in the experimental knowledge of the same And indeed God is fain to take this way with sinners thus to kill them with the Old Covenant to all things below a crucified â—hrist First Because otherwise there would be none in the world that would look after this sweet Jesus Christ. There is but a few that go to Heaven in all comparatively and them few God is fain to deal with them in this manner or else his Heaven his Christ his Glory and everlasting Happiness must abide by themselves for all sinners Do you think that Manasseh would have regarded the Lord had he not suffered his enemies to have prevailed against him 2 Chron. 33. from the 1. verse to the 16. Jer. 31. 18. Do you think that Ephraim would have looked after salvation had not God first confounded him with the guilt of the sins of his youth What do you think of Paul Acts 9. 4 5 6. What do you think of the Jailour Acts 16. 30 31 32. What do you think of the Three Thousand Acts 2. 36 37. Was not this the way that the Lord was fain to take to make them close in with Jesus Christ Was he not fain to kill them to every thing below a Christ that they were driven to their wits ends insomuch that they were forced to cry out Whbat shall we do to be saved I say God might keep Heaven and Happiness to himself it he should not go this way to work with sinners O stout hearted rebels O tender hearted God! Secondly Because then and not till then will sinners accept of Jesus Christ on Gods terms So long as sinners can make a life out of any thing below Christ so long they will not close with Christ without indenting but when the God of Heaven hath killed them to every thing below himself and his Son then Christ will down on any terms in the world And indeed this is the very reason why sinners when they hear of Christ yet will not close in with him there is something that they can take content in besides him The prodigal so long as he could content himself with the husks that the swine did eat so long he did keep away from his Fathers House but when he could get no nourishment any where on this side of his Fathers House then saith he and not till then I will arise and go to my Father c. I say Ths is the reason therefore why men come no faster and close no realier with the Son of God but stand halting and indenting about the terms they must have Christ upon for saith the drunkard I look on Christ to be worth the having but yet I am not willing to lose ALL for him all but my pot saith the drunkard and all but the world saith the covetous I will part with any thing but lust and pride saith the wanton but if Christ will not be had without I forsake all cast away all then it must be with me as it was with the young man in the Gospel such news will make me sorry at my very heart But now when a man is soundly killed to all his sins to all his righteousness to all his comforts whatsoever and sees that there is no way but the Devil must have him but he must be damned in hell if he be not clothed with Jesus Christ Oh! then saith he give me Christ on any terms whatsoever he cost though he cost me friends though he cost me comforts though he cost me all that ever I have yet like the wise Merchant in the Gospel they will sell all to get that pearl I tell you when a soul is brought to see its want of Christ aright it will not be kept back Father Mother Husband Wise Lands Livings nay life and all shall go rather then the soul will miss of Christ. I and the soul counteth Christ a cheap Saviour if it can get him vpon any terms now the soul indents no longer Now Lord give me Christ upon any terms whatsoever he cost for I am a dead-man a damned man a cast away if I have not Christ. What say you O you wounded sinners Is not this true as I have said would you not give Ten thousand worlds if you had so many so be you might be well answered that your sins shall be pardoned and your souls and bodies justified and glorified at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly The Lord goeth this way for this reason also that it might make the soul sensible what it cost Christ to redeem it from death and hell When a man cometh to feel the sting and guilt of sin death and hell upon his conscience then and not till then can he tell what it cost Christ to redeem sinners O! saith the soul if a few sins are so terrible and lay the soul under such wrath and torment what did Christ undergo who bare the
and the Law O! how will God advance his Justice O! how will God advance his Holiness First By shewing men that he in justice cannot will not regard them because they have sinned And secondly In that his holiness will not give way for such unclean wretches to abide in his sight his eyes are so pure Secondly Because God will make it appear that he will be as good as his word to sinners sinners must not look to escape always though they may escape a while yet they shall not go for all ado unpunished no but they shall have their due to a farthing when every threatning and curse shall be accomplished and fulfilled on the head of the transgressor Friend there is never an idle word that thou speakest but God will account with thee for it there is never a lie thou tellest but God will reckon with thee for it nay there shall not pass so much as one passage in all thy life-time but God the righteous God will have it in the trial by his Law if thou die under it in the Judgment-day But you will say But who are those that are thus under the Law Answ. Those that under the Law may be branched out into three ranks of men either first such as are grosly prophane or such as are more refined which may be two ways some in a lower sort and some in a more eminent vvay First Then they are under the Lavv as a Covenant of Works who are open prophane and ungodly vvretches such as delight not only in sin but also make their boast of the same and brag at the thoughts of committing of it now as for such as these are there is a Scripture in the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy the 1 Chap. at the 9. and 10. verses which is a notable one to this purpose The Lavv saith he is not made for a righteous man not as it is a Covenant of Works but for the unrighteous or lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for man-slayers for whore-mongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers liars look to it liars for perjured persons and in a word if there be any other thing that is not according to sound Doctrine These are one sort of People that are under the Law and so under the curse of the same whose due is to drink up the brim-full Cup of Gods eternal vengeance and therefore I beseech you not to deceive your selves For know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Neither Fornicators nor Idolators nor Adulterers nor Effeminates nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Poor souls you think that you may have your sins your lusts and pleasures and yet you shall do pretty well and be let to go free in the Judgment day but see what God saith of such in that 9. of Deuternomy at the 19. and 20. verses Which shall bless themselves in their heart saying I shall have peace I shall be saved I shall do as well as others in the day when God shall judge the World by Jesus Christ but saith God I will not spare them no but my anger and my jealousie shall smoke against them How far even to the executing all the curses that are written in the Law of God upon them Nay saith God I will be even with them For I will blot out their names from under Heaven And indeed it must of necessity be so because such souls are unbelievers in their sins and under the Law which cannot will not shew any mercy on them for it is not the administration of mercy and life but the administration of death and destruction as you have it 2 Cor. the 3. Chap. the 7 9. verses and all those every one of them that are open prophane and scandalous wretches are under it and have been so ever since they came into the World to this day and they will for certain live and die under the same dispensation and then be damned to all eternity if they be not converted from under that Covenant into and under the Covenant of Grace of which I shall speak in its place and yet for all this how brag and cranck are our poor wantons and wicked ones in this day of forbearance as if God would never have a reckoning with them as if there was no Law to condemn them as if there was no hell fire to put them into but Oh! how will they be deceived when they shall see Christ sitting upon the Judgment-seat having laid aside his priestly and prophetical Office and appearing only as a Judge to the wicked When they shall see all the records of Heaven unfolded and laid open when they shall see each man his name out of the Book of Life and in the Book of the Law when they shall see God in his Majesty Christ in his Majesty the Saints in their Dignity but themselves in their Impurity what will they say then whither will they fliethen where will they leave their glory Isa 10. 3. O sad state Secondly They are under the Law also who do not only so break and disobey the Lavv but follow after the Law as hard as ever they can seeking justification thereby that is though a man should abstain from the sins against the Law and labour to fulfil the Law and give up himself to the Lavv yet if he look no further than the Lavv he is still under the Lavv and for all his obedience to the Lavv the righteous Law of God he shall be destroyed by that Lavv. Friend you must not understand that none but profane persons are under the Law No but you must understand that a man may be turned from a vain loose open prophane Conversation and sinning against the Law to a holy righteous religious life and yet be in the same state under the same Law and as sure to be damned as the other that are more prophane and loose And though you may say this is very strange yet I shall both say it and prove it to be true Read with understanding that Scripture in Romans 9. at the 30 31. verses where the Apostle speaking of the very same thing saith But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness mark that followed after the Law of righteousness they notwithstanding their earnest pursuit or hunting after the Law of righteousness fell short of the Law of righteousness It signifies thus much to us that let a man be never so earnest so servent so restless so serious so ready so apt and willing to follow the Law and the righteousness thereof if he be under that Covenant he is gone he is lost he is deprived of eternal life because he is not under the ministration of life if he die there read also that
to their eternal state but he heareth them as to several streights that they go through in this life I and gives them case and liberty from their trouble Here this poor wretch was almost perished for a little water and he cryed and God heard him yea he heard him out of Heaven Read also the 107 Psalm 23. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Psal. 106. 15. He gave them their desire and sent leanness to their souls But some may say methinks this is yet more strange that God should hear the Prayers the cries of those that are under the Law and answered them Answ. I told you before he doth not hear them as to their eternal state but as to their temporal state For God as their Creator hath a care of them and causeth the sun to shine upon them and the rain to distill upon their substance Mat. 5. 45. Nay he doth give the Beasts in the field their appointed food and doth hear the young Ravens when they cry Psal. 147. 9. which are far inferiour to man I say therefore that God doth hear the cries of his Creatures and doth answer them too though not as to their eternal state but may damn them nevertheless when they die for all that Secondly They may receive promises from the mouth of the Lord. There are many that have had promises made to them by the Lord in a most eminent manner and yet as I said before are such as are cast out and called the Children of the Bond-woman which is the Law see Gen. 21. 17 18. And the Angel of the Lord called out of Heaven to Hagar that was the Bond-woman saying fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Arise lift up the Lad and hold him in thine hand FOR I WILL MAKE OF HIM mark there is the promise For I will make of him of the son of the Bond-woman a great Nation Thirdly Nay they may go further for they may receive another heart than they had before and yet be under the Law There is no man I think but those that do not know what they say that will think or say that Saul was under the Covenant of Grace yet after he had talked with Samuel and had turned his back to go from him saith the Scripture God gave him another heart 1 Sam. 10. 9. another heart mark that and yet an out-cast a rejected person 1 Sam. 15. 26 29. Friends I beseech you let not these things offend you but let them rather beget in your hearts an enquiring into the truth of your condition and be willing to be searched to the bottom and also that every thing which hath not been planted by the Lords right hand may be rejected and that there may be a reaching after better things even the things that will not only make thy soul think thy state is good now but that thou mayest be able to look sin death hell the curse of the Law together with the Judge in the face with comfort having such a real sound effectual work of God Grace in thy soul that when thou hearest the Trumpet sound seest the graves flie open and the dead come creeping forth out of their holes when thou shalt see the Judgment set the books opened and all the world standing before the Judgment seat I say that then thou mayest stand and have that blessed sentence spoken to thy soul Come ye blessed of my Father wherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the Foundation of the World Mat. 25. 34. Object But you wil say for all this we cannot believe that we are under the Law for these reasons As first because we have found a change in our hearts Secondly Because we do deny that the Covenant of Works will save any Thirdly Because for our parts we judge our selves far from legal principles for we are got up into as perfect a Gospel order as to matter of practice and discipline in Church Affairs as any this day in England as we judge Answ. First That mans belief that is grounded upon any thing done in him or by him only that mans belief is not grounded upon the death burial resurrection ascension and intercession of Jesus Christ for that man that hath indeed good ground of his eternal salvation his faith is settled upon that object which God is well pleased or satisfied withal which is that man that was born of Mary even her first-born Son that is he doth apply by faith to his soul the vertues of his death blood righteousness c. and doth look for satisfaction of soul no where else then from that neither doth the soul seek to give God any satisfaction as to justification any other ways but doth willingly and chearfully accept of and embrace the vertues of Christs death together with the rest of his things done by himself on the Cross as a Sacrifice and since also as a Priest Advocate Mediator c. And doth so really and effectually receive the glories of the same That thereby mark that thereby he is changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Thus in general but yet more particular First To think that your condition is good because there is some change in you from a loose prophane life to a more close honest and civil life and conversation I say to think this testimony sufficient for to ground the stress of thy salvation upon is very dangerous First Because such a soul doth not only lay the stress of its salvation besides the man Christ Jesus that died upon the Cross But Secondly Because that his confidence is not grounded upon the Saviour of sinners but upon his turning from gross sins to a more refined life and it may be to the performance of some good duties which is no Saviour I say this is very dangerous therefore read it and the Lord help you to understand it for unless you lay the whole stress of the salvation of your souls upon the merits of another man namely Jesus and that by what he did do and is a doing without you for certain as sure as God is in Heaven your souls will perish And this must not be notionally neither as with an assenting of the understanding only but it must be by the wonderful invisible invincible power of the Almighty God working in your souls by his Spirit such a real saving holy saith that can through the operation of the same Spirit by which it is wrought lay hold on and apply these most heavenly most excellent most meritorious benefits of the man Christ Jesus not only to your heads and fancles but to your very souls and consciences so effectually that you may be able by the same faith to challenge the power madness malice rage and destroying nature either of sin the Law death the Devil together with hell and all other evils throwing your souls upon the death burial resurrection and intercession of that man Jesus without Rom. 8 32
of the body of Jesus Christ of which these were a shaddow and a type for the accomplishing of the second Covenant For Christ was by Covenant to offer a Sacrifice and that an effectual one too if he intended the salvation of sinners A body hast thou prepared me I am come to do thy will Heb. 10. I shall therefore shew you First what was expected of God in the Sacrifice in the Type and then shew you how it was answered in the Antitype Secondly I shall shew you the manner of the offering of the type and so answerable thereto to shew you the fitness of the Sacrifice of the Body of Christ by way of answering some questions For the first of these First God did expect that Sacrifice which he himself had appointed and not another To signifie that none would serve his turn but the body and soul of his appointed Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant John 1. 29. Secondly This Sacrifice must not be lame nor deformed it must have no scar spot or blemish to signifie that Jesus Christ was to be a compleat Sacrifice by Covenant 1 Pet. 1. 29. Thirdly This sacrifice was to be taken out of the flock or herd to signifie that Jesus Christ was to come out of the race of Mankind according to the Covenant Heb. 10. 5. But Secondly As to the manner of it First the sacrifice before it was offered was to have the sins of the Children of Israel confessed over it to signifie that Jesus Christ must Isa. 53. 4 5 6 7. 1 Pet. 2. 24. bear the sins of all his children by Covenant As for thee by the blood of thy Covenant in his own body on the tree Zech. 9. 10 11. Secondly It must be had to the place appointed namely without the Camp of Israel to signifie that Jesus Christ must be led to the Mount Calvary Luke 23. 33. Thirdly The sacrifice was to be killed there to signifie that Jesus Christ must and did suffer without the City of Jerusalem for our salvation Fourthly the sacrifice must not only have its life taken away but also some of its flesh burned upon the Altar to signifie that Jesus Christ was not only to dye a natural death but also that he should undergo the pains and torments of the damned in hell Fifthly Sometimes there must be a living offering and a dead offering as the goat that was killed and the scape goat the dead bird and the living bird Levit. 14. 3 4 5 6. To signifie that Jesus Christ must dye and come to life again Sixthly The goat that was to dye was to be the sin-offering that is to be offered as the rest of the sin-offerings to make an atonement as a type and the other goat was to have all the sins of the Children of Israel confessed over him Levit. 16. from the 7. verse to the 22. and then to be let go into the wilderness never to be catched again to signifie that Christs death was to make satisfaction for sin and his coming to life again was to bring in everlasting Rom. 4. 25. justification from the power curse and destroying nature of sin Seventhly The scape goat was to be carried by a fit man into the wilderness To signifie that Jesus Christ should be both fit and able to carry our sins quite away from us so as they should never be laid to our charge again Here is Grace Eighthly The sacrifices under the Law commonly part of them must be eaten Exod. 12. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. To signifie that they that are saved should spiritually feed on the body and blood of Jesus Christ or else they have no life by him John 6. 51 52 53. Ninthly This sacrifice must be eaten with unleavened bread To signifie that they which love their sins that devilish leaven of wickedness they do not feed upon Jesus Christ. Now of what hath been spoken this is the sum that there is a sacrifice under the New Covenant as there was sacrifices under the Old and that this sacrifice did every way answer that or those Indeed they did but suffer for sin in shew but he in reality they as the shadow but he as the substance O! when Jesus Christ did come to make himself a sacrifice or to offer himself for sin you may understand that our sins was indeed charged to purpose upon him O how they scared his soul how they brake his body insomuch that they made the blood run down his blessed face and from his precious side therefore thou must understand these following things First that Jesus Christ by Covenant did dye for sin Secondly that his death was not a meer natural death but a cursed death even such a one as men do undergo from God for their sins though he himself had none even such a death as to endure the very pains and torments of hell O sad pains and in expressible torments that this our sacrifice for sin went under The pains of his body was not all no but the pains of his soul for his soul was made an offering as well as his body yet all but one sacrifice Isa. 53. To signifie that the suffering of Christ was not only a bodily suffering but a soul suffering not only to suffer what man could inflict upon him but also to suffer soul torments that none but God can inflict or suffer to be inflicted upon him O the torments of his soul they were torment indeed his soul was that that felt the wrath of God My soul saith he is exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26. 38. My soul is troubled and what shall I say John 12. 27. The Rock was not so rent as was his precious soul there was not such a terrible darkness on the face of the earth then as there was on his precious soul. O the torments of hell and the eclipsings of the divine smiles of God were both upon him at once the Devils assailing of him and God forsaking of him and all at once My God my God saith he why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. now in my greatest extremity now sin is laid upon me the curse takes hold on me the pains of hell are clasped about me and thou hast forsaken me O sad Sinner this was not done in pretence but in reality not in shew but in very deed Otherwise Christ had dissembled and had not spoken the truth but the truth of it his bloody sweat declares his mighty cries declares the things what and for what he suffered declares Nay I must say thus much that all the damned souls in hell with all their damnations did never yet feel that torment and pain that did this blessed Jesus in a little time Sinner canst thou read that Jesus Christ was made an offering for sin and yet go on in sin Canst thou hear that the lead of thy sins did break the very heart of Christ and spill his precious Blood And canst thou find in thy heart to
labour to lay more sins upon his back Canst thou hear that he suffered the pains the fiery flames of Hell and canst thou find in thy heart to add to his groans by slighting of his sufferings O hard hearted wretch How canst thou deal so unkindly with such a sweet Lord Jesus Quest. But why did Christ offer himself in sacrifice Answ. That thou shouldest not be thrown to the very Devils Quest. But why did he spill his precious blood Answ. That thou mightest enjoy the joys of Heaven Quest. But why did he suffer the pains of Hell Answ. That thou mightest not fry with the devil and damned souls Quest. But could not we have been saved if Christ had not died Answ. No for without shedding of blood there is no remission and besides there was no death that could satisfie Gods justice but his which is evident because there was none in a capacity to dye or that was able to answer an infinite God by his so suffering but he Quest. But why did God let him dye Answ. He standing in the room of sinners and that in their names and natures Gods justice must fall upon him for justice takes vengeance for sin wheresoever it finds it though it be on his dear Son Nay God favoured his Son no more finding our sins upon him then he would have favoured any of us For should we have died so did he Should we have been made a curse so was he Should we have undergone the pains or hell so did he Quest. But did he indeed suffer the torments of hell Answ. Yea and that in such an horrible way too that it is unspeakable Quest. Could he not have suffered without his so suffering would not his dying only of a natural death have served the turn Answ No in no wise The sins for which he suffered called for the torments of hell the condition in which he died did call for the torments of hell for Christ did not dye the death of a Saint but the death of a Sinner of a cursed and damned sinner because he stood in their rooms Gal. 3. 13. the Law to which he was subjected called for the torments of hell the nature of Gods justice could not bate him any thing the death which he was to suffer had not lost its sting all these being put together do irresistibly declare unto us that he as a sacrifice did suffer the torments of hell But Secondly had he not died and suffered the cursed death the Covenant had been made void and his suretiship would have been forfeited and besides this the world damned in the Flames of Hell fire therefore his being a sacrifice was one part of the Covenant for the terms of the Covenant was that he should spill his blood Zech. 9. 10 11. O blessed Jesus O blessed Grace Quest. But why then is his death so slighted by some Answ. Because they are enemies to him either through ignorance or presumption either for want of knowledge or out of malice for surely did they love or believe him they could not chuse but break and bleed at heart to consider and to think of him Zech. 12. 10 11. Thus passing this I shall now speak something to Christs Priestly Office but by the way if any should think that I do here spin my thread too long in distinguishing his Priestly Office from his being a sacrifice they supposing that for Christ to be a Priest and a Sacrifice is all one and the same thing and it may be it is because they have not thought on this so well as they should Namely that as he was a sacrifice he was passive Isa. 53. that is led or had away as a lamb to his sufferings But as a Priest he was active that is he did willingly and freely give up his body to be a sacrifice He hath given his life a ransom for many This consideration being with some weight and clearness on my spirit I was and am caused to lay them down in two particular heads And therefore The second thing that I would speak something to it is this that as there were Priests under the first Covenant so there is a Priest under this belonging to this New Covenant a high Priest the chief Priest as it is clear where it is said We having an high Priest over the House of God Heb. 10. 21. Chap. 3. 1 Chap. 5. 5 10. and Chap. 7. 24 25 26. Chap. 8. 1 4. Now the things that I shall treat upon are these First I shall shew you the Qualifications required of a Priest under the Law Secondly his Office and thirdly how Jesus Christ did according to what was signified by those under the Law I say how he did answer the Types and where he went beyond them For his Qualifications First They must be called thereto of God No man take this honour upon him but he that is called of God as Aaron Heb. 5. 4. Now Aarons being called of God to be a Priest signifies that Jesus Christ is a Priest of Gods appointment such a one that God hath chosen likes of and hath set on work called of God an high Priest c. ver 10. Secondly The Priests under the Law they must be men compleat not deformed Speak unto Aaron saith God to Moses saying Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any bleinish let him not approach to offer the bread of his God for whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish he shall not approach if he be a blind man or a lame man or he that hath a flat nose or any thing superfluous or a man that is broken footed or broken handed or crookt backt or a dwarf or he that hath a blemish in his eye or be scurvy or scabbed or hath his stones broken No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer offerings of the Lord made by fire he hath a blemish he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God Levit. 21. 17 18 19 20 21. What doth all this signifie but that in the first place he must not be lame to signifie he must not go haltingly about the work of our salvation 2. He must not be blind to signifie that he must not go ignorantly to work but he must be quick of understanding in the things of God 3. He must not be scabbed to signifie that the Priest must not be corrupt or filthy in his Office 4. In a word he must be every ways compleat to signifie to us that Jesus Christ was to be and is most compleat and most perfect every way an acceptable high Priest in things pertaining to God in reference to this second Covenant Thirdly The Priests under the Law were not to be hard hearted but pitiful and compassionate willing and ready with abundance of bowels to offer for the people and to make an atonement for them Heb. 5. 1 2. To signifie that Jesus Christ should be a
of God Angels and Devils But I say if thou dost believe these things indeed thou dost believe that then so long ago even before thou wast born he did bear thy Sins in his own Body which then was Hanged on the Tree and never before nor since that thy old Man was then Crucified with him namely in the same Body then Crucified see 1 Pet. 2. 24. and Rom. 6. 6. This is non-sense to them that believe not but if thou do indeed believe thou seest it so plain and yet such a Mystery that it makes thee wonder But in the third Place this glorious Doctrine of the New Covenant and the Mediator thereof will serve for the comforting and the maintaining of the comfort of the Children of the New Covenant this way also that is that he did not only dye and rise again but that he did ascend in his own Person into Heaven to take possession thereof for me to prepare a Place there for me standeth there in the second part of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring me safe in my coming thither and to present me in a glorious manner without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that he is there exercising of his Priestly Office for me pleading the 〈◊〉 of his own Righteousness for me and the vertue of his Blood for me That he is there ready to answer the Accusations of the Law Devil and Sin for me Here thou mayest through Faith look the very Devil in the Face and Rejoyce saying O Satan I have a precious Jesus a Soul comforting Jesus a Sin-pardoning Jesus Here thou mayest hear the biggest thunder-crack that the Law can give and yet not be daunted Here thou mayest say O Law thou may'st roar against Sin but thou can'st not reach me thou may'st Curse and Condemn but not my Soul for I have a righteous Jesus a holy Jesus a Soul-saving Jesus and he hath delivered me from thy Threats from thy Curses from thy Condemnatious I am out of thy reach and out of thy bounds I am brought into another Covenant under better promises promises of Life and Salvation free promises to comfort me without my Merit even through the Blood of Jesus the satisfaction given to God for me by him therefore though thou lay'st my Sins to my charge and sayest thou wilt prove me Guilty yet so long as Christ is above ground and hath brought in everlasting righteousness and given that to me I shall not fear thy threats thy charges thy Soul-searing Denunciations my Christ is all hath done all and will deliver me from all that thou and whatsoever else can bring an Accusation against me Thus also thou may'st say when Death assaulteth thee O Death where is thy sting Thou may'st bite indeed but thou canst not devour I have comfort by and through the one Man Jesus Jesus Christ he hath taken thee Captive and taken away thy strength he hath pierced thy Heart and let out all thy Soul destroying Poyson therefore though I see thee I am not afraid of thee though I feel thee I am not daunted thou hast lost thy sting in the side of the Lord Jesus through him I overcome thee and set foot upon thee Also O Satan though I hear thee grumble and make a hellish Noise and tho thou threaten me very highly yet my Soul shall Triumph over thee so long as Christ is alive and can be heard in Heaven so long as he hath broken thy Head and won the field of thee so long as thou art in Prison and canst not have thy desire I therefore when I hear thy Voice do pitch my Thoughts on Christ my Saviour and do hearken what he will say for he will speak comfort he saith he hath got the Victory and doth give to me the Crown and causeth me to Triumph through his most glorious Conquest Nay my Brethren the Saints under the Levitical Law who had not the New Covenant sealed or confirmed any further than by promise that it should be I say they when they thought of the glorious Privileges that God had promised should come though at that time they were not come but seen afar off how confidently were they perswaded of them and embraced them and were so fully satisfied as touching the certainty of them that they did not stick at the parting with all for the enjoying of them Heb. 11. How many times doth David in the Psalms admire triumph and perswade others to do so also through the Faith that he had in the thing that was to be done Also Job in what Faith doth he say he should see his Redeemer though he had not then shed one drop of Blood for him yet because he had promised so to do and this was signified by the blood of Bulls and Goats Also Samuel Isaiah Jeremiah Zechariah c. how gloriously in confidence did they speak of Christ and his Death Blood Conquest and everlasting Priest-hood even before he did manifest himself in the flesh which he took of the Virgin We that have lived since Christ have more ground to hope than they under the Old Covenant had though they had the Word of the Just God for the ground of their Faith Mark They had only the Promise that he should and would come but we have the assured fulfilling of those Promises because he is come they were told that he should spill his Blood but we do see he hath spilt his Blood They ventured all upon his standing Surety for them but we see he hath fulfilled and that faithfully too the Office of his Suretiship in that according to the engagement he hath redeemed us poor Sinners They ventured on the New Covenant though not actually Sealed only because they judged him faithfull that had promised Heb. 11. 11. but we have the Covenant Sealed all things are compleatly done even as sure as the Heart-Blood of a crucified Jesus can make it There is as great a difference between their Dispensation and ours for comfort even as much as there is between the making of a Bond with a promise to Seal it and the sealing of the same It was made indeed in their time but it was not sealed untill the time the Blood was shed on the Mount Calvary and that we might have our Faith mount up with Wings like an Eagle he sheweth us what encouragement and ground of Faith we have to conclude we shall be everlastingly delivered saying Heb. 9. 16 17 18. For where a Testament or Covenant is there must of necessity be the Death of the Testatour for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testatour liveth whereupon neither the first Testament was dedicated without Blood As Christ's Blood was the Confirmation of the New Covenant yet it was not sealed in Abraham Isaac or Jacob's days to confirm the Covenant that God did tell them of and yet they believed therefore we ought to give the more earâ—est heed to believe the
glittering Angels ministering before him besides when the ungodly shall appear there with their pale Faces with their guilty Consciences and trembling Souls that would then give thousands and ten thousands of Worlds if they had so many if they could enjoy but one loving look from Christ. I say then then shalt thou have the hand of Christ reached to thee kindly to receive thee saying Come thou blessed step up hither thou wast willing to leave all for me and now will I give all to thee here is a Throne a Crown a Kingdom take them thou wast not ashamed of me when thou wast in the World among my Enemies and now will not I be ashamed of thee before thine Enemies but will in the view of all these Devils and damned Reprobates promote thee to Honour and Dignity Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Thou shalt see that those who have served me in truth shall lose nothing by the means No but ye shall be as Pillars in my Temple and Inheritours of my Glory and shall have a place to walk in among my Saints and Angels Zech. 3. 7. O! Who would not be in this Condition Who would not be in this Glory It will be such a Soul-ravishing Glory that I am ready to think the whole reprobate World will be ready to run mad Deut. 28. 34. to think that they should miss of it then will the vilest Drunkard Swearer Liar and unclean Person willingly cry Lord Lord open to us yet be denied of entrance and thou in the mean time embraced entertained made welcome have a fair Mitre set upon thy Head and clothed with immortal Glory Zech. 3. 5. O therefore let all this move thee and be of weight upon thy Soul to close in with Jesus this tender-hearted Jesus And if yet for all what I have said thy Sins do still stick with thee and thou findest thy hellish Heart loath to let them go think with thy self in this manner Shall I have my Sins and lose my Soul Will they do me any good when Christ comes Would not Heaven be better to me then my Sins And the Company of God Christ Saints and Angels be better then the Company of Cain Judas Balaam with the Devils in the Furnace of Fire Canst thou now that readest or hearest these Lines turn thy Back and go on in thy Sins Canst thou set so light of Heaven of God of Christ and the Salvation of thy poor yet precious Soul Canst thou hear of Christ his bloody Sweat and Death and not be taken with it and not be grieved for it and also converted by it If so I might lay thee down several Considerations to stir thee up to mend thy pace towards Heaven but I shall not there is enough written already to leave thy Soul without excuse and to bring thee down with a Vengeance into Hell-fire devouring Fire the Lake of Fire eternal everlasting Fire O! to make thee swim and roul up and down in the Flames of the Furnace of Fire The End If thou wouldest have a more full discourse hereof Read Dâ—d upon the Commandments * But only in tongue * Some professors take them at the best they are but like Dogs spuing out their filth for a time The last part of the Objection * I beseeth you do not think that because I say this therefore I am against the Ordinances of the Gospel for I do honour them in their places yet would not that any of them should be idolized or done in a wrong spirit I touched upon this in the first Doctrine * But it is impossible that the righteousness of man by the Law should save him * Besides the reasons already given * The word David in this place signifieth Christ as also in these Scriptures I might give you more Scriptures but pray consider the second thing Did I think this would â—â—ect with any opposition I should be in this more large Yet the second Adam was before the first and also the second Covenant before the first This is a Riddle David here is to be understood Christ. Christ is put into office by the Father to do all things contained in the New Covenant His Surtiship However it is in other ingagements yet it is thus in this Though the debtor together with the surety is liable to pay the debt by the Law of man yet Christ our surety only by the Covenant of Grace As Christ did not suffer in his body without suffering in soul nor yet in soul without his suffering in body it was because not the body without the soul but both the body and soul of the Saints should be for ever saved These things have I spoken to shew you that Saints are under Grace These things are more fully laid down in that part of the book which containeth the discourse of the priviledges of the New Covenant You must not understand that love in God is a passion as it is in us but the love of Gâ—d is the very essence or nature of God 1 John 4. 16. Come to the touchstons sinner Six reasons of this discourse That soul that hath the right work of God upon its heart is not only killed to its self but also made alive to Christ. * Like as the Children of Israel who fled for fear when the ground opened its mouth to swallow up Corah and his company Ps. 103. 1 23. * But this may be its temptation taking place through the timerousness of the soul. * This conviction seized on my soul one Sabbath day when I was at play being one of the first that I had which when it came though it seared me with its terrour yet through the temptation of the devil immediately striking in therewith I did rub it off again and became as vile for some time as I was before like a wretch that I was Do not think that I am against the order of the Gospel Dan. 9. 24 25. 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. * This is the Doctrine that I will live and dye by and be willing to be damned if it saves me not I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to Salvation therefore I preach Christ Crucified to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness Rom. 1. 1 Cor. 1. Heb. 10. 14. Heb. 9. 24 25. * Shall not we then that see all things already done before us make it a strong Argument to increase out Faith * For they were 〈◊〉 so many sure promises with a remembrance in them also for the better satisfaction of them that believed them You that are resolved to go on in your Sins meddle not with this
was punished in the Sodomites c. with the utter destruction of this City and themselves Gen. 19. 24 25. Yea they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. Also the Male Sechemites for the sin committed by Hamors son were all put to the sword Gen. 34. 25 26. Our first Parents sinned against the Eighth Commandment in taking the forbidden fruit and so brought the Curse on themselves and their posterity Gen. 3. 16. Again the punishment due to the breach of this Commandment was by Jacob accounted death Gen. 31. 30 32. and also by Jacobs sons Gen. 44. 9 10. Cain sinning against the Ninth Commandment as in Gen. 4. 9. was therefore cursed to the earth verse the 11. And Abraham though the Friend of God was blamed for false witness by Pharaoh and sent out of Egypt Gen. 12. 18 19 20. and both he and Sarah reproved by Abimelech Gen. 20. 9 10 16. Pharaoh sinned against the Tenth Commandment Gen. 12. 15. and was therefore plagued with great plagues verse 17. Abimelech coveted Abraham's Wife and the Lord threatned death to him and his except he restored her again Gen. 20. 3. Yea though he had not come near her yet for coveting and taking her the Lord fast closed up the Wombs of his house verse 18. I could have spoken more fully to this but that I would not be too tedious but speak what I have to say with as much brevity as I can But before I pass it I will besides this give you an Argument or two more for the further clearing of this that the substance of the Law delivered on Mount Sinai was before that delivered by the Lord to man in the Garden As first Death reigned over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression that is though they did not take the forbidden fruit as Adam did but had the transgression been no other or had their sin been laid to the charge of none but those that did eat of that fruit then those that was born to Adam after he was shut out of the Garden had not had sin in that they did not actually eat of that fruit and so had not been slaves to death But in that Death did reign from Adam to Moses or from the time of his transgression against the first giving of the Law till the time the Law was given on Mount Sinai it is evident that the substance of the Ten Commandments was given to Adam and his Posterity under that Command Eat not of the Tree that is in the midst of the Garden But yet if any shall say that it was because of the sin of their Father that death reigned over them to that I shall answer that although original sin be laid to the charge of his Posterity yet it is also for their sins that they actually committed that they were plagued And again saith the Apostle For where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4. 15. For sin is not imputed where there is no Law Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses saith he Rom. 5. 13 14. But if there had been no Law then there had been no Transgression and so no death to follow after as the wages thereof for death is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23. and sin is the breach of the Law an actual breach in our particular persons as well as an actual breach in our publick person 1 John 3. 4. Again they are no other sins then those against that Law given on Sinai for the which those sins before mentioned was punished therefore the Law given before by the Lord to Adam and his posterity is the same with that afterwards given on Mount Sinai Again the Conditions of that on Sinai and of that in the Garden are all one the one saying Do this and live the other saying the same Also Judgment denounced against men in both kinds alike therefore this Law it appeareth to be the very same that was given on Mount Sinai Again the Apostle speaketh but of two Covenants to wit Grace and Works under which two Covenants all are some under one and some under the other Now this to Adam is one therefore that on Sinai is one and all one with this and that this is a truth I say I know that the sins against that on Sinai was punished by God for the breach thereof before it was given there so it doth plainly appear to be a truth for it would be unrighteous with God for to punish for that Law that was not broken therefore it was all one with that on Sinai Now the Law given on Sinai was for the more clear discovery of those sins that was before committed against it for though the very substance of the Ten Commandments was given in the Garden before they were received from Sinai yet they lay so darkly in the heart of man that his sins was not so clearly discovered as afterwards they were therefore saith the Apostle The Law was added Gal. 3. 19. or more plainly given on Sinai in Tables of Stone that the offence might abound that is that it might the more clearly be made manifest and appear Rom. 5. 20. Again we have a notable resemblance for this at Sinai even in giving the Law for first the Law was given twice on Sinai to signifie that indeed the substance of it was given before And secondly the first tables that was given on Sinai was broken at the foot of the Mount and the other was preserved whole to signifie that though it was the true Law that was given before with that given on Sinai yet it was not so easie to be read and to be taken notice of in that the stones were not whole but broken and so the Law written thereon somewhat defaced and disfigured But if any object and say though the sins against the one be the sins against the other and so in that they do agree yet it doth not appear that the same is therefore the same Covenant of Works with the other Answ. That which was given to Adam in Paradise you will grant was the Covenant of Works for it runs thus Do thus and live do it not and die nay thou shalt surely die Now there is but one Covenant of Works If therefore I prove that that which was delivered on Mount Sinai is the Covenant of Works then all will be put out of doubt Now that this is so it is evident First Consider the two Covenants are thus called in Scripture the one the administration of death and the other the administration of life the one the Covenant of Works the other of Grace but that delivered on Sinai is called the ministration of death that therefore is the Covenant of Works 2 Cor. 3. For if saith he the ministration of death Written and Ingraven in stones was glorious c. Secondly the Apostle writing to the Galatians doth labour to beat them off from trusting in the Covenant of Works but when he
in a condition to attain the mercy of God by the Law these thoughts do flow from gross ignorance both of the nature of sin and also of the nature of the justice of God And if I was to give you a description of one in a lost condition for the present I would brand him out with such a mark of ignorance as this is 2. Answ. The Law as it is a Covenant of works doth not allow of any repentance unto life to those that live and die under it for the Law being once broken by thee never speaks good unto thee neither doth God at all regard thee If thou be under that Covenant notwithstanding all thy repentings and also promises to do so no more No saith the Law thou hast sinned therefore I must curse thee for it is my nature to curse even and nothing else but curse every 〈◊〉 that doth in any point transgress against me Gal. 3. 10. They brake my Covenant and I regarded 〈◊〉 not saith the Lord Heb. 8. Let them cry I will not regard them let them report I will not regard them they have broken my Covenant and done that in which I delighted not therefore by that Covenant I do curse and not bless damn and not save frown and not smile reject and not embrace charge sin and not forgive it They brake my Covenant and I regarded them not So that I say if thou break the Law the first Covenant and thou being found there God looking on thee thorow that he hath no regard on thee no pity for thee no delight in thee Object 2. But hath not the Law promises as well as threatnings saying The man that doth these things shall live mark he shall live by them or in them Answ. First to break the Commandments is not to keep or fulfil the same but thou hast broken them therefore the promise doth not belong to thee by that Covenant Secondly the promises that are of the Law are conditional and so not performed unless there be a full and continual obedience to every particular of it and that without the feast sin Do this mark do this and afterwards thou shalt live but if thou break one point of it once in all thy life thou hast not done the Law therefore the the promises following the Law do not belong unto thee if one sin hath been committed by thee As thus I will give you a plain instance Set the case there be a Law made by the King that if any man speak a word against him he must be put to death and this must not be revoked but must for certain be expected on the offender though though there be a promise made to them that do not speak a word against him that they shall have great love from him yet this promise is nothing to the offender he is like to have no share in it or to be ever the better for it but contrariwise the Law that he hath offended must be executed on him for his sin shutteth him out from a share of or in the Promises So it is here there is a promise made indeed but to whom Why it is to none but those that live without sinning against the Law but if thou I say sin one time against it in all thy lifetime thou art gone and not one promise belongs to thee if thou continue under this Covenant Methinks the Prisoners at the bar having offended the Law and the charge of a just Judge towards them do much hold forth the Law as it is a Covenant of Works and how it deals with them that are under it The Prisoner having offended cries out for mercy good my Lord mercy saith he pray my Lord pity me the Judge saith What canst thou say for thy self that Sentence of Death should not be passed upon thee Why nothing but this I pray my Lord be merciful But he answers again Friend the Law must take place the Law must not be broken The Prisoner saith Good my Lord spare me and I will never do so any more The Judge notwithstanding the mans out-cries and sad condition must according to the tenor of the Law pass Judgment upon him and the Sentence of the Condemnation must be read to the Prisoner though it makes them fall down dead to hear it if he executes the Law as he ought to do And just thus it is concerning the Law of God Object 3. I but sometimes for all your haste the Judge doth also give some Pardons and forgive some offenders notwithstanding their offences though he be a Judge Answ. It is not because the Law is merciful but because there is manifested the love of the Judge not the love of the Law I beseech you to mark this distinction for if a man that hath deserved death by the Law be notwithstanding this forgiven his offence it is not because the Law saith spare him but it is the love of the Judge or Chief Magistrate that doth set the man free from the Condemnation of the Law But mark here the Law of Men and the Law of God do differ the Law of Man is not so irrevokable but if the Supream please he may sometimes grant a Pardon without satisfaction given for the offence but the Law of God is of this nature that if the Man be found under it and a transgrssor or one that hath transgressed against it before that Prisoner can be released there must be a full and compleat satisfaction given to it either by the mans own life or by the blood of some other man For without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9. 22. that is there is no deliverance from under the curse of the Law of God and therefore however the Law of man may be made of none effect sometimes by shewing mercy without giving of a full satisfaction yet the Law of God cannot be so contented nor at the least give way that the person offending that should escape the curse and not be damned except some one do give a full and compleat satisfaction to it for him and bring the Prisoner into another Covenant to wit the Covenant of Grace which is more easie and soul-refreshing and sin-pardoning I say therefore you must understand that if there be a Law made that reaches the life to take it away for the 〈◊〉 given by the offender against it then it is clear that if the man be spared and saved it is not the Law that doth give the man this advantage but it is the meer mercy of the King either because he hath a ransom or satisfaction some other way or being provoked thereto out of his own love to the person whom he saveth Now thou also having transgressed and broken the Law of God if the Law be not executed upon thee it is not because the Law is merciful or can pass by the least offence done by thee but thy deliverance comes another way Therefore I say however it be by the Laws of
the Law command thee to love the Lord thy God with all thy soul with all thy strength with all thy might c. and can the natural man do this Jer. 13. 23. How can those that are accustomed to do evil do that which is commanded in this particular Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Doth the Law command thee to do good and nothing but good and that with all thy soul heart and delight which the Law as a Covenant of Works called for and can'st thou being Carnal do that But there is no man that hath understanding if he should hear thee say so but would say that thou wast either bewitched or stark mad Sixthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because that though they follow the Law or Covenant of Works I say though they follow it it will not lead them to Heaven no but contrariwise it will lead them under the Curse It is not possible saith Paul that any should be justified by the Law or by our following of it for by that is the knowledge of sin and by it we are condemned for the same which is far from leading us to life being the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3. and again Israel that followeth after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by faith but by the Law and by the Works thereof Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Seventhly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they do not know whether ever they shall have any wages for their work or no they shall have no assurance of the pardon of their sins neither any hopes of eternal life but poor hearts as they are they work for they do not know what even like a poor Horse that works hard all day and at night hath a dirty Stable for his pains so thou mayest work hard all the days of thy life and at the day of death instead of having of a glorious rest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou mayest nay thou shalt have for thy sins the damnation of thy soul and body in Hell to all eternity for as much as I said before that the Law if thou sinnest it doth not take notice of any good work done by thee but takes its advantage to destroy and cut off thy soul for the sin thou hast committed Eighthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they are under that administration upon whose souls God doth not smile they dying there for the administration that God doth smile upon his Children through is the Covenant of Grace they being in Jesus Christ the Lord of life and consolation but contrariwise to those that are under the Law for they have his frowns his rebukes his threatnings and with much severity they must be dealt withal For they break my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord Heb. 8. 9. Ninthly they are in a sad condition because they are out of the faith of Christ they that are under the Law have not the faith of Christ in them for that dispensation which they are under is not the administration of faith The Law is not of faith saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 2. Tenthly because they have not received the Spirit for that is received by the bearing of faith and not by the Law nor the Works thereof Gal. 3. 2. Eleventhly in a word if thou live and die under that Covenant Jesus Christ will neither pray for thee neither let thee have one drop of his Blood to wash away thy sins neither shalt thou be so much as one of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven for all these priviledges come to souls under another Covenant as the Apostle saith For such are not under the Law but under Grace that is such as have a share in the benefits of Jesus Christ or such as are brought from under the first Covenant into the second or from under the Law into the Grace of Christs Gospel without which Covenant of Grace and being found in that there is no soul can have the least hope of eternal life no joy in the holy Ghost no share in the priviledges of Saints because they are tied up from them by the limits and bonds of the Covenant of Works For you must understand that these two Covenants have their several bounds and limitations for the ruling and keeping in subjection or giving of freedom to the parties under the said Covenants now they that are under the Law are within the compass and the jurisdiction of that and are bound to be in subjection to that and living and dying under that they must stand and fall to that as Paul saith To his own master he shall stand or fall The Covenant of Grace doth admit to those that are under it also liberty and freedom together with commanding of subjection to the things contained in it which I shall speak to further hereafter But now that the former things may be further made to appear that is what the sad condition of all them that are under the Law is as I have shewn you something of the nature of the Law so also shall I shew that the Law was added and given for that purpose that it might be so with those that are out of the Covenant of Grace First God did give the Law that sin might abound Rom. 5. 20. not that it should take away sin in any but to discover the sin which is already begotten or that may hereafter be begotten by Lust and Satan I say this is one proper work of the Law to make manifest sin it is sent to find fault with the sinner and it doth also watch that it may so do and it doth take all advantages for the accomplishing of its work in them that give ear thereto or do not give ear if it have the rule over them I say it is like a man that is sent by his Lord to see and pry into the labours and works of other men taking every advantage to discover their infirmities and failings and to chide them yea to throw them out of the Lords favour for the same Secondly Another great end why the Lord did add or give the Law it was that no man might have any thing to lay to the charge of the Lord for his condemning of them that do transgress against the same You know that if a man should be had before an Officer or Judge and there be condemned and yet by no Law he that condemns him might be very well reprehended or reproved for passing the Judgment yea the party himself might have better ground to plead for his liberty than the other to plead for the condemning of him but this shall not be so in the judgment day but contrariwise for then every man shall be forced to lay his hand on his mouth and hold his tongue at the Judgment of God when it is passed
Scripture Gal. 3. 10. which saith For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse mark they that are of the Works of the Law now for to be of the works of the Law it is to be of the works of the righteousness thereof that is to abstain from sins against the Law and to do the commands thereof as near as ever they can for their lives or with all the might they have and therefore I beseech you to consider it for mens being ignorant of this is the cause why so many go on supposing they have a share in Christ because they are reformed and abstain from the sins against the Law who when all comes to all will be damned notwithstanding because they are not brought out from under the Covenant of Works and put under the Covenant of Grace Object But can you in very deed make these things manifestly evident from the Word of God methinks to reason this is very strange that a man should labour to walk up according to the Law of God as much as ever he can and yet that men notwithstanding this should be still under the Curse Pray clear it Answ. Truly this doth seem very strange I do know full well to the natural man to him that is yet in his unbelief because he goeth by beguiled reason but for my part I do know it is so and shall labour also to convince thee of the truth of the same First Then the Law is thus strict and severe that if a man do sin but once against it he I say is gone for ever by the Law living and dying under that Covenant If you would be satisfied as touching the truth of this do but read the third of the Galations at the 10. verse Where it saith Cursed is every one that is not a man shall misss by that Covenant that continueth not in all mark in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them pray mark here is a curse in the first place if all things written in the Book of the Law be not done and that continually too that is without any failing or one slip as I said before Now there is never a one in the world but before they did begin to yield obedience to the least command they in their own persons did sin against it by breaking of it the Apostle methinks is very notable for the clearing of this in that 3 of the Romans and also in the fifth in the one he endeavours for to prove that all had transgressed in the first Adam as he stood a common person representing both himself and us in his standing and falling Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore saith he as by one man sin entered into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men mark that but why for that all have sinned that is for as much as all naturally are guilty of original sin the sin that was committed by us in Adam So this is one cause why none can be justified by their obedience to the Law because they have in their first place broken it in their first parents But secondly In case this should be opposed and rejected by quarrelsome persons though there be no ground for it Paul hath another argument to back his Doctrine saying For we have proved already that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin First As it is written there is none righteous no not one Secondly They are all gone out of the way they are together mark together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Thirdly Their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of asps is under their lips Fourthly Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness Fifthly Their feet are swift to shed blood In a word Destruction and misery are in their ways And the way of peace they have not known Now then saith he having proved these things so clearly the conclusion of the whole is this That what thing soever the Law saith in both shewing of sin and cursing for the same it saith All to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Rom. 3. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. So that here I say lieth the ground of our not being justified by the Law even because in the first place we have sinned against it for know this for certain that if the Law doth take the least advantage of thee by thy sinning against it all that ever thou shalt afterwards hear from it is nothing but curse curse curse him For not continuing in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Secondly Thou canst not be saved by the righteous Lavv of God the first Covenant because that together with this thy miserable state by original and actual sins before thou didst follow the Law since thy turning to the Law thou hast committed several sins against the Law In many things vve offend all So that now thy righteousness to the Law being mixed with sometimes the lust of concupiscence forâ—idation coverousness pride heart-risings against God coldness of affection towards him backwardness to good duties speaking idle words having of strife in your hearts and such like I say these things being thus the righteousness of the Law is become do weak through this our flesh Rom. 8. 30 and so notwithstanding all our obedience to the Law we are yet through our weakness under the Curse of the Law for as I said before the Law is so holy so just and so good that it cannot allow that any failing or slip should be done by them that look for life by the same Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing Gal. 3. 10. and this Paul knew full well which made him throw away all his righteousness But you will say that was his own Ansvver But it was even that which while he calls it his own he also calls it the righteousness of the Law see Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. and to account it but dung but as dirt on his shoes and that that he might be found in Christ and so he saved by him without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. But thirdly Set the case the righteousness of the Law which thou hast was pure and perfect without the least flaw or â—auâ—o without the least mixture of the least sinful thought yet this would fall far short of presenting of thee blameless in the sight of God And that I prove by these arguments The first Argument is That that which is not Christ cannot redeem souls from the Curse It cannot compleatly present them before the Lord. Now the Law is not Christ Therefore the Moral Law cannot by all our obedience to it deliver us from the curse that is due to us Act. 4. 12. The second Argument is That that righteousness that is not the
by the Law but by imputation and is really the righteousness of another namely of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 3. 8 9 10. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ which is unto all and upon all that is imputed to them that believe Rom. 3. 22. But if they were under the Old Covenant the Covenant of Works then their righteousness must be their own or no forgiveness of sins If thou do well shalt not thou be accepted but if thou transgress sin lieth at the door saith the Law Gen. 4. 7. Fourthly In a word whatsoever they do receive whether it be conversion to God whether it be pardon of sin whether it be faith or hope whether it be righteousness whether it be strength whether it be the Spirit or the fruits thereof whether it be victory over sin death or hell whether it be heaven everlasting life and glory unexpressible or whatsoever it be it comes to them freely God having no first eye to what they would do or should do for the obtaining of the same But to take this in pieces 1. In a word are they converted God finds them first for saith he I am found of them that sought me not Isa. 65. 1. 2. Have they pardon of sin They have that also freely I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely Hos. 14. 4. 3. Have they faith It is the gift of God in Christ Jesus and he is not only the author that is the beginner thereof but he doth also perfect the same Heb. 12. 2. 4. Have they hope It is God that is the first cause thereof Remember thy word unto thy servaut wherein THOU hast caused me to hope Psal. 119. 49. 5 Have they righteousness It is the free gift of God Rom. 5. 17. 6. Have they strength to do the work of God in their generations or any other thing that God would have them do that also is a free gift from the Lord for without him we neither do nor can do any thing John 15. 5. 7. Have we comfort or consolation We have it not for what we have done but from God through Christ for he is the God of all our comforts and consolations 2 Cor. 1. 8. Have we the spirit or the fruits thereof It is the gift of the Father How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. Thou hast wrought all our works for us Isa. 26. 12. And so I say whether it be victory over sin death hell or the devil it is given us by the victory of Christ But thanks be to God which hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 57. Rom. 7. 24 25. Heaven and glory it is also the gift of him who giveth his richly all things to enjoy Mat. 25. So that these things if they be duly and soberly considered will give satisfaction in this thing I might have aded many more for the clearing of these things At first when God came to man to convert him he found him a dead man Eph 2. 1 2. he found him an enemy to God Christ and the salvation of his own soul he found him wallowing in all manner of wickedness he found him taking pleasure therein with all delight and greediness 2. He was fain to quicken him by putting his Spirit into him and to translate him by the mighty operation thereof 3. He was fain to reveal Christ Jesus unto him man being altogether senseless and ignorant of his blessed Jesus Mat. 11. 25 27. 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10. 4. He was fain to break the snare of the devil and to let poor man poor bound and fettered man out of the chains of the enemy Now we are to proceed and the things that we are to treat upon in the second place are these First why it is a free and unchangeable grace Secondly Who they are that are actually brought into his free and unchangeable Covenant of Grace and how they are brought in Thirdly What are the priviledges of those that are actually brought into this free and glorious grace of the glorious God of heaven and glory For the first Why it is a free and unchangeable grace and for the opening of this we must consider First How and through whom this grace doth come to be first free to us and secondly unchangeable This grace is free to us through conditions in another that is by way of Convenant or Bargain for this Grace comes by way of Covenant or Bargain to us yet made with another for us First That it comes by way of Covenant Contract or Bargain though not personally with us be pleased to consider these Scriptures where it is said Psal. 89. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant And as for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant speaking of Christ have I sent forth the prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water Zech. 9. 9 10 11. Again You have sold your selves for nought and you shall be bought without money Ezek. 34. 23 24. Chap. 37. 24 25. Blessed be the Lord therefore saith Zacharias for he hath visited and also REDEEMED his people And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us To perform his mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant or Bargain Luke 1 68 69 70 71 72. And if any should be offended with the plainness of these words as some poor souls may be through ignorance let them be pleased to read soberly that 49. Chapter of the the Prophet Isaiah from the 1. verse to the 12. and there they may see that it runs as plain a Bargain as if two should be making of a Bargain between themselves and concluding upon several conditions on both sides But more of this hereafter Now secondly This Covenant I say was made with one not with many and also confirmed in the conditions of it with one not with several First That the Covenant was made with one see Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and to his seed was the promises made he saith not to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ ver 17. And this I say the Covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ c. The Covenant was made with the seed of Abraham not the seeds but the seed which is the Lord Jesus Christ our head and undertaker in the things concerning the Covenant 3. The condition was made with one and also accomplished by him alone and not by several yet in the nature and for the everlasting deliverance of many even by one man Jesus Christ as it is clear from
justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ as if God had said Sinner thou thinkest because thou hast had so many infirmities and weaknesses in thy soul whilst thou hast been professing of me therefore now there can be no hopes of mercy but be it known unto thee that it was not any thing done by thee at the first that moved me to have mercy upon thee neither is it any thing that is done by thee now that shall make me either accept or reject thee behold my Son who standeth by me he is righteous he hath fulfilled my Law and given me good satisfaction on him therefore do I look and on thee only as thou art in him and according to what he hath done so will I deal with thee This having stayed my heart and taken off the guilt through the strength of its coming on my soul anon after came in that word as a second testimony He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began And thus is the sinner made alive from the dead being justified by Grace through the righteousness of Christ which is unto all and upon all them that believe according to the Scriptures And the life that I now live it is by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. I lay down my life for my sheep John 10. 10 15. I I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more then being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10 21. That as sin reigneth unto death even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly This life is not only imputed to him that is wrought on by the spirit of Grace that is not only counted his but also there is put into the soul an understanding enlightened on purpose to know the things of God which is Christ and his imputed righteousness 1 John 5. 20. which it never thought of nor understood before 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11. which understanding being enlightened and made to see such things that the soul cannot be contented without it lay hold of and apply Christ unto it self so effectually I say that the soul shall be exceedingly revived in a very heavenly measure with the application of this imputed righteousness for thereby it knoweth it shall find God speaking peace to its self and with a fatherly affection say Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee the righteousness of my Son I bestow upon thee For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the thy flesh I have sent forth my only Son and have condemned thy sins in his flesh Rom. 8. 3. 4. And though thou hast gone astray liste a lost sheep yet on him I have laid thine iniquities and though thou thereby didst undo and break thy self forever yet by his stripes I haue healed thee Thus I say the Lord causeth the soul by faith to apply that which he doth by grace impute unto it for thus every soul more or less is dealt withal the soul being thus inlightned thus quickned thus made alive from that dead state it was in before or at least having the beginnings of this life it hath these several vertuous advantages which they have not that are dead in their sins and trespasses and under the Law First It seeth what a sad condition all men by nature are in they being in that state which it self was in but a while since but now by grace it is a beginning to scrable out of it now it seeth the whole world lieth in wickedness 1 John 5. 19. and so liable to eternal vengeance because of their wickedness Ah friends let me tell you though you may be ignorant of your state and condition yet the poor groaning hungering Saints of God do see what a sad woeful miserable state you are in which sometimes makes them tremble to think of your most lamentable latter end you dying so and also to flie the faster to their Lord Jesus for very fear that they also should be partakers of that most doleful doom and this it hath by vertue of its own experience knowing it self was but a while ago in the same condition under the same condemnation O! there is now a hearty blessing of God that ever he should shew to it its sad condition and that he should incline its heart to seek after a better condition O blessed be the Lord saith the soul that ever he should awaken me stir up me and bring me out of that sad condition that I once with them was in It makes also the soul to wonder to see how foolishly and vainly the rest of its neighbours do spend their precious time that they should be so void of understanding so forgetful of their latter end so senseless of the damning nature of their sins O that their eyes was but inlightned to see whereabouts they are 〈◊〉 surely they would be of another mind then they are now in Now the soul wonders to see what slender pins those poor creatures do hang the stress of the eternal salvation of their souls upon O methinks saith the soul it makes me mourn to see that some should think that they were Born Christians and others that their Baptisme makes them so others depending barely upon a traditional historical faith which will leave their souls in the midst of plerplexity O that they should trust to such fables fancies and wicked slights of the Devil as their good doings their good thinkings their civil walking and living with the world O miserable profession and the end thereof will be a miserable end But now vvhen the soul is thus vvrought upon it must be sure to look for the very gates of hell to be set open against it vvith all their force and might to destroy it Novv hell rageth the devil roareth and all the world resolved do be the best they can to bring the soul again into bondage and ruine Also the soul shall not want enemies even in its own hearts lust as covetousness adultery blasphemy unbelief hardness of heart coldness half-heartedness ignorance with an innumerable company of attendants hanging like so many blocks at its heels ready to sink it into the fire of hell every moment together with strange apprehensions of God and Christ as if now they were absolutely turned to be its enemies which maketh it doubt of the certainty of its salvation For you must understand that though a soul may in reality have the righteousness of the Son of God imputed to it and also some faith in a very strong manner to lay hold upon it yet
come to Christ. The Use for the second Doctrine Now a few words to the second Doctrine and so I shall draw towards a conclusion The Doctrine doth contain in it very much comfort to thy Soul who art a new Covenant man or one of those who art under the New Covenant There is first pardon of sin And secondly the manifestation of the same And thirdly a power to cause thee to persevere through Faith to the very end of thy life There is first pardon of sin which is not in the Old Covenant for in that there is nothing but commands and if not obeyed condemned O but there is pardon of sin even of all thy sins against the first and second Covenant under which thou art and that freely upon the account of Jesus Christ the righteous he having in thy name nature and in the room of thy person fulfilled all the whole Law in himself for thee and freely giveth it unto thee O though the Law be a ministration of death and condemnation yet the Gospel under which thou art is the ministration of life and salvation 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. Though they that live and dye under the first Covenant God regardeth them not Heb. 8. 9. Yet they that are under the second are as the apple of his Eye Deut. 32. 10. Psal. 17. 8. Zech. 2. 8. Though they that are under the first the Law are called to blackness and darkness and tempest the sound of a Trumpet and a burning Mountain which sight was so terrible that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 18 19 20 21. Yet you are come unto Mount Sion to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first born whose names are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Jesus to blessed Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh betten things than that of Abel Heb. 12. 22 23 24. even forgiveness of sins Eph. 1. 7. 2. The Covenant that thou art under doth allow of Repentance in case thou chance to slip or fall by sudden Temptation Rev. 2. 5. but the Law allows of none Gal. 3. 10. The Covenant that thou art under allows thee strength also but the Law is only a sound of words commanding Words but no Power is given by them to fulfill the things commanded Heb. 12. 19. Thou that art under this second art made a Son but they that are under that first are Slaves and Vagabonds Gen. 4. 12. Thou that art under this hast a Mediator that is to stand between Justice and thee 1 Tim. 2. 5. But they under the other their Mediator is turned an Accuser and speaketh most bitter things against their Souls John 5. 45. Again the way that thou hast into Paradise is a new and living way mark a living way Heb. 10. 20. But they that are under the Old Covenant their way into Paradise is a killing and destroying way Gen. 3. 24. Again thou hast the Righteousness of God to appear before God withall Phil. 3. 9. But they under the Old Covenant have nothing but the Righteousness of the Law which Paul counts dirt and dung Phil. 3. 7 8. Thou hast that which will make thee perfect but the other will not do so Heb. 7. 19. The Law makes nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope which is the Son of God did by which we draw nigh to God 3. The New Covenant promiseth thee a new Heart as I said before Ezek. 36. 26. but the Old Covenant promiseth none and a new Spirit but the Old Covenant promiseth none The New Covenant conveyeth Faith Gal. 3. but the Old one conveyeth none Through the New Covenant the Love of God is conveyed into the Heart Rom. 5. but through the Old Covenant there is conveyed none of it savingly through Jesus Christ. The New Covenant doth not only give a Promise of Life but also with that the assurance of Life but the old one giveth none The old Covenant wrought Wrath in us and to us Rom. 4. 15. but the new one worketh Love Gal. 5. 6. Thus much for the first use Secondly As all these and many more Priviledges do come to thee through or by the New Covenant and that thou mightest not doubt of the Certainty of these glorious Priviledges God hath so ordered it that they do all come to thee by way of Purchase being obtained for thee ready to thy hand by that one Man Jesus who is the Mediator or the Person that hath principally to do both with God and thy Soul in the things pertaining to this Covenant so that now thou mayest look on all the glorious things that are spoken of in the New Covenant and say all these must be mine I must have a share in them Christ hath purchased them for me and given them to me Now I need not to say O! but how shall I come by them God is holy I am a sinner God is just and I have offended no but thou mayest say though I am vile and deserve nothing yet Christ is holy and he deserveth all things though I have so provoked God by breaking his Law that he could not in justice look upon me yet Christ hath so gloriously paid the debt that now God can say Welcome Soul I will give thee grace I will give thee glory thou shalt lie in my bosom and go no more out my Son haâ—â—â—leased me he hath satisfied the loud cries oâ—â—he Law and Justice that called for speedy vengeance on thee He hath fulfilled the whole Law he hath brought in everlasting righteousness he hath overcome the Devil he hath washed away thy sins with his most precious blood he hath destroyed the power of death and triumphs over all the Enemies This he did in his own person as a common Jesus for all persons in their stead even for so many as shall come in to him for his victory I give to them his righteousness I give to them his merits I bestow on them and look upon them holy harmless undefiled and for ever comely in my Eye through the victory of the Captain of their Salvation And that thou mayest indeed and in truth not only hear and read this glorious Doctrine but be found one that hath the life of it in thy heart thou must be much in studying of the two Covenants the nature of the one and the nature of the other and the conditions of them that are under them both Also thou must be well grounded in the manner of the Victory and Merits of Christ how they are made thine And here thou must in the first place believe that the Babe that was Born of Mary lay in a Manger at Bethlehem in the time of Caesar Augustus that he that Babe that Child was the very Christ. Secondly
thou must believe that in the days of Tibereas Caesar when Herod was Tetrarch of Galilee and Pontius Pilate Governour of Judea that in those days he was crucified or hanged on a tree between two Thieves which by computation or according to the best account is above sixteen hundred years since Thirdly thou must also believe that when he did hang upon that Cross of Wood on the Mount Calvary that then he did dye there for the sins of those that did dye before he was Crucified also for their sins that were alive at the time of his Crucifying and also that he did by that one death give satisfaction to God for all those that should be born and believe in him after his death even unto the Worlds end I say this thou must believe upon pain of eternal Damnation that by that one death that when he did dye he did put an end to the curse of the Law and Sin and at that time by his death on the Cross and by his Resurrection out of Joseph's Sepulchre he did bring in a sufficient Righteousness to clothe thee withall compleatly For by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified not that he should often offer himself for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the World but now ONCE in the end of the World hath he appeared to put or do away Sin by the sacrifice of himself Namely when he hanged on the Cross. For it is by the offering up of the Body of this blessed Jesus Christ ONCE for all Indeed other Priests may offer oftentimes Sacrifices and Offerings which can never take away Sins but this Man this Jesus this annointed and appointed sacrifice when he had offered ONE sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God But because thou in thy pursuit after the faith of the Gospel wilt be sure to meet with devils hereticks particular corruptions as unbelief ignorance the spirit works animated on by suggestions false conclusions with damnable doctrines I shall therefore briefly besides what hath been already said speak a word or two more before I leave thee of further advice especially concerning these two things First How thou art to conceive of the Saviour Secondly How thou art to make application of him First For the Saviour thou must look upon him to be very God and very Man not man only nor God only but God and Man in one Person both natures joyned together for the putting of him in a capacity to be a suitable Saviour suitable I say to answer both sides and parties with whom he hath to do in the office of his Mediatorship and being as a Saviour Secondly Thou must not only do this but thou must also consider and believe that even what was done by Jesus Christ it was not done by one nature without the other but thou must consider that both natures both the God-head and the man-hood did gloriously concur and joyn together in the undertaking of the Salvation of our Bodies and Souls not that the God-head undertook any thing without the Man-hood neither did the Man-hood do any thing without the Vertue and Union of the God head and thou must of Necessity do this otherwise thou canst not find any sound ground and footing for thy Soul to rest upon For if thou look upon any of these asunder that is to say the God-head without the Man-hood or the Man-hood without the God-head thou wilt conclude that what was done by the God-head was not done for man being done without the Man-hood or else that that which was done with the Man-hood could not answer Divine Justice in not doing what it did by the Vertue and in Union with the God-head for it was the God-head that gave Vertue and Value to the suffering of the Man-hood and the Man-hood being joyned therewith that giveth us an interest into the heavenly glory and comforts of the God-head What ground can a man have to believe that Christ is his Saviour if he do not believe that he suffered for Sin in his Nature And what ground also can a man have to think that God the Father is satisfied being infinite if he believe not also that he who gave the satisfaction was equal to him who was offended Therefore Beloved when you read of the offering of the Body of the Son of Man for our Sins then Consider that he did it in Union with and by the help of the eternal God-head How much more shalâ— the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works c. And when thou readest of the glorious Works and â—plendour of the God-head in Christ theâ—â— consider that all that was done by the God-head it was done as it had union and communion with the Man-hood And then thou shalt see that the Devil is overcome by God-man Sin Death Hell the Grave and all overcome by Jesus God-man and then thou shalt find them overcome indeed They must needâ—â—e overcome when God doth overcome them and we have good ground to hope the Victory is ours when in our Nature they are overcome 2. The second thing is how to apply or to make application of this Christ to the Soul And for this there is to be considered the following particulars First that when Jesus Christ did thus appear being born of Mary he was looked upon by the Father as if the sin of the whole World was upon him â—ay further God did look upon him and account him the Sin of Man He hath made him to be Sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. That â—â—is God made his Son Jesus Christ our Sin or reckoned him to be not only a Sinner but the very bulk of Sin of the whole World and condemned him so severely as if he had been nothing but Sin For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the flesh That is for our Sins condemned his Son Jesus Christ as if he had indeed and in truth been our very Sin and yet altogether without Sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 8. 3. Therefore as to the taking away of thy Curse thou must reckon him to be made Sin for thee And as to his being thy Justification thou must reckon him to be thy Righteousness for saith the Scripture He that is God hath made HIM to be SIN for us though he knew no Sin that WE might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in HIM Secondly Consider for whose sakeâ— all this glorious design of the Father and the Son was brought to pass and that you shall find to be for Man for sinful Man 2 Cor. 8. 9. Thirdly The terms on which it is made ours and that you will find to be a free gift meerly arising from the tender-heartedness of God You are justified freely by his
that is by a final knowing wilful malicious trampling under foot the Blood of Christ which was shed on Mount Calvary when Jesus was there crucified And though it be called the Sin against the Spirit yet as I said before every Sin against the Spirit is not that for if it was then every Sin against the Light and Convictions of the Spirit would be unpardonable but that is an evident untruth for these Reasons First because there be those who have sinned against the movings of the Spirit and that knowingly too and yet did not commit that As Jonah who when God had expresly by his Spirit bid him go to Nineveh he runs thereupon quite another way Secondly because the very People that have sinned against the movings of the Spirit are yet if they do return received to Mercy Witness also Jonah who though he had sinned against the movings of the Spirit of the Lord in doing contrary thereunto Yet when he called as he saith to the Lord out of the Belly of Hell the Lord heard him and gave him deliverance and set him again about his work Read the whole story of that Prophet 2 Answ. But secondly I shall shew you that it must needs be wilfully knowingly and a malicious rejecting of the man Christ Jesus as the Saviour That is counting his Blood his Righteousness his Intercession in his own Person for he that rejects one rejects all to be of no value as to salvation I say this I shall shew you is the unpardonable Sin And then afterwards in brief shew you why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost First That man that doth reject as aforesaid the Blood Death Righteousness Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of the man Christ doth reject that Sacrifice that Blood that Righteousness that Victory that Rest that God alone hath appointed for Salvation John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb or sacrifice of God We have Redemption through his Blood Ephes. 1. 7. That I may be found in him to wit in Christs Righteousness with Christs own personal obedience to his Fathers Will Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. By his Resurrection comes Justification Rom. 4. 25. His Intercession now in his own Person in the Heavens now absent from his Saints is the cause of the Saints Perseverance 2 Cor. 6 7 8. also Rom. 8. 33 34 35 36 c. Secondly They that reject this Sacrifice and the Merits of this Christ which he by himself hath brought in for Sinners hath rejected him through whom alone all the Promises of the New Testament together with all the Mercy discovered thereby doth come unto poor Creatures For all the promises in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God 2 Cor. 1. 20. And all spiritual Blessings are made over to us through him Ephes. 1. 3 4. That is through and in this Man which is Christ we have all our spiritual Heavenly and eternal Mercies Thirdly He that doth knowingly wilfully and despitefully reject this man for Salvation doth sin the unpardonable Sin because there is never another sacrifice to be offered Heb. 10. 26. There is no more offering for Sin there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin Heb. 10. 18. namely than the offering of the body of Jesus Christ a Sacrifice once for all Heb. 10. ver 10. and 14. compared with ver 18. and 26. No but they that shall after light and clear conviction reject the first offering of his Body for Salvation do Crucifie him the second time which irrecoverably merits their own Damnation For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come If they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance seeing they Gruâ—â—fiâ— to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open Shame If they fall away to renew them again unto Repentance And why so seeing saith the Apostle they do crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and do put him to open shame O then how miserably hath the Devil deceived some In that he hath got them to reject the merits of the first offering of the Body of Christ which was for Salvation and got them to trust in a fresh Crucifying of Christ which unavoidably brings their speedy Damnation Fourthly they that do reject this Man as aforesaid do sin the unpardonable Sin because in rejecting him they do make way for the Justice of God to break out upon them and to handle them as it shall find them which will be in the first place Sinners against the first Covenant which is the Soul-damning Covenant and also despising of even the Life and Glory and Consolations Pardon Grace and Love that is discovered in the second Covenant forasmuch as they reject the Mediator and Priest of the same which is the Man Jesus And the Man that doth so I would fain see how his Sins should be pardoned and his Soul saved seeing the means which is the Son of Man the Son of Mary and his Merits is rejected For saith he If you believe not that I am he you shall mark you shall do what you can you shall appear where you can you shall follow Moses Law or any holiness whatsoever you shall dye in your Sins Joh. 8. 24. So that I say the Sin that is called the unpardonable Sin is a knowing wilful and despiteful rejecting of the sacrificing of the Son of Man the first time for Sin And now to shew you why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost as in these Scriptures Mat. 12. Heb. 10. Mark 3. First Because they Sin against the manifest light of the Spirit as I said before it is a Sin against the light of the Spirit That is they have been formerly enlightened into the nature of the Gospel and the Merits of the Man Christ and his Blood Righteousness Intercession c. And also professed and confessed the same with some life and comfort in and through the profession of him Yet now against all that Light maliciously and with despite to all their former Profession turn their backs and trample upon the same Secondly It is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost because such a Person doth as I may say lay violent hands on it one that sets himself in opposition to and is resolved to resist all the motions that do come in from the Spirit to persuade the contrary For I do verily believe that men in this very rejecting of the Son of God after some knowledge of him especially at their first resisting and refusing of him they have certain motions of the Spirit of God to disswade them from so great a Soul-damning Act. But they being filled with an over-powering measure of the Spirit of the Devil do do despite unto these Convictions and Motions by studying and contriving how they may answer them and get from under
others go upright to the great Prejudice of thy poor Soul Object But alas I have nothing to carry with me how then should I go Answ. Hast thou no Sins If thou hast carry them and exchange them for his Righteousness because he hath said Cast thy Burthen upon the Lord and he will sustain thee Psal. 55. 22. and again because he hath said Though thou be heavy laden yet if thou do but come to him he will give thee rest Mat. 11. 28. Object But you will say Satan telleth me that I am so cold in Prayers so weak in believing so great a Sinner that I do go so slothfully on in the way of God that I am so apt to slip at every Temptation and to be entangled therewith together with other things so that I shall never be able to attain those blessed things that are held forth to sinners by Jesus Christ and therefore my trouble is much upon this account also and many times I fear that will come upon me which Satan suggesteth to me that is I shall miss of eternal Life 1. Answ. As to the latter part of the Objection that thou shalt never attain to everlasting Life That is obtained for thee already without thy doing either thy praying striving or wrestling against sin If we speak properly it is Christ that hath in his own Body abolished Death on the Cross and brought Light Life and Glory to us through this his thus doing But this is the thing that thou aimest at that thou shalt never have a share in this Life already obtained for so many as do come by Faith to Jesus Christ and all because thou art so slothful so cold so weak so great a Sinner so subject to slip and commit Infirmities 2. Answ. I answer Didst thou never learn for to out-shoot the Devil in his own Bow and to cut off his Head with his own Sword as David served Goliah who was a Type of him Quest. O how should a poor Soul do this this is rare indeed Answ. Why truly thus Doth Satan tell thee thou prayest but faintly and with very cold Devotion answer him thus and say I am glad you told me for this will make me trust the more to Christs Prayers and the less to my own also I will endeavour henceforward to groan to sigh and to be so fervent in my crying at the Throne of Grace that I will If I can make the Heavens rattle again with the mighty Groans thereof And whereas thou sayest that I am so weak in believing I am glad you mind me of it I hope it will hence forward stir me up to cry the more heartily to God for strong Faith and make me the more restless till I have it And seeing thou tellest me that I run so softly and that I shall go near to miss of Glory this also shall be through Grace to my advantage and cause me to press the more earnestly towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And seeing thou doest tell me that my Sins are wonderous great hereby thou bringest the remembrance of the unsupportable Vengeance of God into my mind if I dye out of Jesus Christ and also the necessity of the Blood Death and Merits of Christ to help me I hope it will make me fly the faster and press the harder after an interest in him and the rather because as thou tellest me my state will be unspeakable miserable without him And so all along if he tell thee of thy Deadness Dulness Coldness or Unbelief or the greatness of thy Sins answer him and say I am glad you told me I hope it will be a means to make me run faster seek earnestlier and to be the more restless after Jesus Christ. If thou didst but get this art as to out run him in his own Shooes as I may say and to make his own Darts to pierce himself then thou mightest also say now doth Satans Temptations as well as all other things work together for my Good for my Advantage Rom. 8. 28. Object But I do find so many weaknesses in every Duty that I do perform as when I pray when I read when I hear or any other Duty that it maketh me out of conceit with my self it maketh me think that my Duties are nothing worth Answ. I answer It may be it is thy Mercy that thou art sensible of Infirmities in thy best things thou doest I a greater Mercy then thou art aware of Quest. Can it be a Mercy for me to be troubled with my Corruptions Can it be a Priviledge for me to be annoyed with Infirmities and to have my best Duties infected with it How can it possibly be Answ. Verily thy Sins appearing in thy best Duties do work for thy Advantage these wayes First in that thou findest ground enough thereby to make thee humble and when thou hast done all yet to count thy self but an unprofitable Servant And secondly thou by this means art taken off from leaning on any thing below a naked Jesus for eternal Life It is like if thou wast not sensible of many by-Thoughts and Wickednesses in thy best Performances thou wouldest go near to be some proud abominable Hypocrite or a silly proud dissembling Wretch at the best such a one as would send thy Soul to the Devil in a bundle of thy own Righteousness but now thou through Grace seest that all and every thing thou doest there is sin enough in it to condemn thee This in the first place makes thee have a care of trusting in thy own doings And secondly sheweth thee that there is nothing in thy self which will do thee any good by working in thee as to the meritorious cause of thy Salvation No but thou must have a share in the Birth of Jesus in the Death of Jesus in the Blood Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of a crucified Jesus And how sayest thou doth not thy finding of this in thee cause thee to flie from a depending on thy own doings And doth it not also make thee the more earnestly to groan after the Lord Jesus Yea and let me tell thee also it will be a cause to make thee admire the freeness and tender-heartedness of Christ to thee when he shall lift up the light of his Countenance upon thee because he hath regarded such a one as thou sinful thou And therefore in this sense it will be a mercy to the Saints that they do find the reliques of sin still struggling in their Hearts But this is not simply the nature of sin but the Mercy and Wisdom of God who causeth all things to work together for the good of those that love and fear God Rom. 8. And therefore whatever thou findest in thy Soul though it be sin of never so black a Soul-scaring nature let it move thee to run the faster to the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt not be ashamed that is of thy running to him But secondly When thou