of promise O my Lord my goodness is noâ— for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth anâ— the excellent in whom is all my delight And so ouâ— Saviour Christ promises to the Father in the 17. oâ— John Therefore do I sanctifie my self That theâ— also may be sanctified And if you look into the Hebrews you shall find that Christ is called the Surety of the Covenant Why because he doth ingage for God the Father to perform to us and he doth ingage for us that we shall perform to God So that do you aske what the Covenant is plainly then it is That mutual agreement between God anâ— man whereby God the Father doth ingage himself to shew kindness love and mercy to Christ and his Seed Christ ingaging both for himself and for his Seed to be obedient unto God the Father 2. But then secondly why is this Covenant called a New Covenant Not only because it is an excellent Covenant as in Scripture phrase excellent things are called New a New Song c. Nor onely because it brings a new heart which is promised in the Covenant Nor onely because it is alwayes fresh and green and new upon which account Austin thinks that the commandment of Love is called a New Commandment Nor is it called New onely because there is no other Covenant to succeed and follow which is the reason in the 8th of Heb. But it is called a New Covenant in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam and with us in the state of innocency and in opposition to the Covenant which was made with the Jews in the time of the Old Testament First New in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam in the state of innocency for then though God out of free love and grace was pleased to condescend to enter into Covenant with man yet then God did deal with us in a way of Supremacy and of Righteousness and therefore there is mention made onely of the Threatning In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death But now God deals with us in this Covenant in a way of grace and of great compassion and therefore in this Covenant there is mention made onely of the Promise Again 2. Though God did enter into Covenant with Adam and so with us and promised eternal life in Heaven not eternal life in this World onely as some would For Hell was threatned in these words In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death and therefore Heaven and Salvation was promised on the contrary yet I say although God when he entered into Covenant with us then did promise Heaven and Salvation it was upon condition of our personal and perfect obedience and therefore called a Covenant of works But now our Covenant runs upon no such terms 3. Then in that Covenant acceptation began in the Work and so to the Person and therefore saith the Lord to Cain If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted speaking to him as belonging to the Covenant of works But in the Covenant now made the acceptation begins in the Person and so to the Work and therefore saith the Lord concerning Abel the Lord accepted Abel his Person and then his Sacrifice 4. Then also the Lord gave Adam and us anâ— ability to stand but he did not give a promise of perseverance in standing But now the Lord doth I will put my fear into your hearts that you shall not depart from me saith the Lord. 5. Then in that Covenant there was no room for repentance no room for remission But as in a Court of meer Justice the Question is not whether a man doth repent of his Fact or no but whether I or No hath such a Fact been done So by the Covenant of works the first Covenant there is no Question whether a man doth repent or no But whether the work were done whether the sin were done But now in this Covenant there is room both for repentance and for remission as by and by you shall hear And then 6. Though when God made that Covenant with Adam and with us the tree of Life might be some shaddow of Christ yet then there was no Mediator for there was no need God and Man was not at variance and so no need of a Mediator But in this Covenant that is now stricken there is a Mediator a Mediator of the New Covenant So that thus you see this Covenant is New in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam and us in the state of innocency And Secondly As it is New in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam the Covenant of works so it is new also in opposition to the Covenant that was made with the Jews in the time of the Old Testament For the clearing of this First of all we must inquire whether there be any difference between the Covenant made with the Jews in the day of the Old Testament and the Covenant made with us now and in case there be what is the difference and wherein it lyes And first If you ask whether there be any difference If I should answer with Divines ordinarily wherein they speak the truth I must say that the Covenant which God made with the Jews was for substance the same though different in administration but give me leave to express my own sense in my own terms thus 1. It is plain and clear that the Jews that were saved in the time of the Old Testament were saved by the same Covenant that we now are saved by for they were saved by the Covenant that God made with Abraham so are we Luke 11. Rom. 4. Gal. 3. Circumcision then was the Seal of the Covenant and what was Circumcision but a seal of the Righteousness of Faith The Ceremonies Types and Sacrifices did not belong to the Covenant of works they were Types of Christ and therefore it must needs be the same Covenant for it was a Covenant of works that was made with the Jews God should have brought them from better to worse for the Covenant of Grace was made with Abraham but though the Law was added after the Promise it could not disanul the Promise saith the Apostle in the 3. of Gal. So that its plain and cleaâ— the Jews that were then saved were saved by thâ— same Covenant that we now are But 2. Though those Jews that were saved werâ— saved by the same Covenant that we now are saved by yet notwithstanding the Covenant oâ— works was declared and promulged among thâ— Jews Wherefore then was the Law added saith thâ— Apostle Added then it was As Sarah and Hagar made types of the two Testaments by the Apostle Were at once in Abrahams house So the Old Covenant of Works and the New Covenant of Grace werâ— at once in the Jewish Church But 3. Though both these Covenants were at oncâ— in the Jewish Church the one declared and the other made with them though
CHRIST And the COVENANT THE Work and Way of Meditation Gods Return to the Soul or Nation Together with his Preventing Mercy Delivered in Ten SERMONS VIZ. 1. Christs Personal Excellencies the Object of of our Love 2. Christ crucified the Object of our Faith 3. The New Covenant of Grace opened 4. Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant 5. The Way and Spirit of the New Covenant or New Testament 6. The Blood of Sprinkling 7. The sweetness and profitableness of Divine Meditation 8. The Work and Way of this Meditation 9. Gods Return to the Soul and Nation 10. Preventing Mercy By W. B. LONDON Printed for N. Ranew and J. Robinson at the Angel in Jewen-street 1667. To the READER Courteous Reader THese Ten Sermons lately taken by an expert band as they fell from the mouth of the sweet Preacher of them contain so great a variety of Heavenly matter so much of the very marrow and quintessence of the Gospel that thou wilt no sooner begin to read them but wilt presently find that the heart of the Reverend Author of them hath lay'n long asoke in the blood of Jesus and that he hath been no stranger to his very bosome Love Buy them therefore with what speed thou canst and read them over diligently it will be a good bargain for thy Soul and one of the Richest Commodities that ever thou mettest with at so cheap a Rate It is put into so small a Letter and Bulk purposely for thy better accommodation and that not only in the ease of thy Purse but principally that thou mayest make it as well thy Pocket as thy Hearts Companion where e're thou goest Farewell The Reader is desired to Correct or Pardon these few faults or any other literal mistakes that he meets with PAge 17. line 9. for love read heart p. 20. l. 25. f. love r. good p. 21. in the Title f. faith r. love p. 25. l. 4. f. think r. thing p. 29. l. 23. f. cleary r. clearly p. 32. in the Title f. Christs r. Christ p. 35. l. 15. f. Elias r. Eli. p. 41. l. 25. f. gorw r. grow p. 43. l. 9. for spirit r. sight p. 64. l. 1. f. for r. if p. 100. l. 27. f. for lo. p. 355. l. 22. f. when r. where p. 356. l. 25. f. Samaritans r. the Samaritans p. 367. l. 24. f. dange r. danger p. 371 l. 9. f. with that r. what is that p. 378 l. 24. f. when r. where p. 384 l. 12. leave out your p. 388 in the title f. and r. of p. 389 l. 15. leave out be p. 397 l. 6. leave out a. p. 403. l. 12. leave out and. p. 409 l. 7. f. uno r. unto p. 419 l. 28. f. a r. the and line 29. leave out therefore p. 426 l. 23. f. so r. see p. 445 in the title for wory r. work p. 451 l. 8. f work r. want p. 455 l. 25. for aytance r. assistance p. 476 l. 12. for not gone r. not so gone l. 19. for not gone r. not so gone p. 487 l. 23. for ere r. or Christs Personall Excellencies the object of our Love SERMON I. John 14.28 â—f ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater than I. THese words are part of the last sweet Sermon which our Saviour Preached unto his Disciples before his Death and departure from them wherein he labours to allay their sorrow and grief upon the â—ccasion of his departure Therefore he tells them 〈◊〉 the second Verse In my Fathers house are many manâ—s and at the third Verse I go to prepare a place for 〈◊〉 Then he tells them at the 16 17 18 verses that 〈◊〉 would send them another Comforter and I will not leave 〈◊〉 comfortlesse I will come unto you Then he labours to perswade them unto comfort 〈◊〉 their protestation of their own Love unto him 〈◊〉 say you love me saith he If ye loved me yo would reâ—e because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is â—ter than I. â—f ye loved me that is If you loved me so much as you should 'T is usuall with Scripture to speak of thingâ— absolutely when they are meant câ—mparatively If you loved me so much as you proâ—esse and so much as you should for they did love him If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I go unto mâ— Father Joy is the top of Comfort as Comfort is the top oâ— Peace Joy is the cream of Comfort If ye loved me ye would be so far from being troubled at my going that you would be very much comforted for I gâ— unto my Father who is greater than I Than I am aâ— Mediatour who upon my coming to him will exaâ— me and therefore if ye loved me ye would ratheâ— rejoyce because I go unâ—o my Father who is greatâ— than I From whence then I take up this Doctrine Doct. That true love unto the Person of Christ wâ— make us rejoyce in his Personall Exaltment thou it may be in some respects unto our debasement or prâ—sent losse For the opening and prosecuting whereof 1. We must enquire what there is in Christ's gâ—â—ing to the Father that is matter of our Rejoycing 2. I shall labour to shew you that 't is our duty rejoyce in the Personall Exaltment of Christ thoâ— in some respects it may be to our own losse and â—basement 3. That true love to the Person of Christ will 〈◊〉 able us to do this 4. That 't is possible that Christ's own and 〈◊〉 Disciples may be wanting in their Love to Chriâ— Person 5. What an excellent thing it is to love the Pâ—son of Christ rather than the benefits of Christ To have our hearts drawn out in Love to his Person more excellent than to have a love to him upon the account of benefits And 6. What we should do that our hearts may be drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ so as we may be able to rejoyce in his exaltment though to our own debasement First If you ask what there is in Christ's going to the Father that is matter of our Rejoycing of a Disciples rejoycing I answer much every way much in reference to our own concernments much in reference to the concernments of Christ much in reference to the concernments of God the Father As for our own concernments First If Christ had not gone unto the Father his â—atisfaction for our sins had not been accepted nor â—ur Redemption perfected Heb. 9.12 Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redempâ—ion for us It doth relate and allude unto the manner of the Old Testament when the blood of Goats â—nd Calves was poured out the Priest took the blood â—nd carried it into the holy of holyest and sprinkled the merâ— Seat But though the blood of Bulls or Calves had â—een poured out yet if the Priest had not
heart of flesh Grace Grace this Covenant thâ— is a Covenant of Grace it is a gracious Covâ—nant 2. As it is a gracious Covenant so it is a frâ— and inconditionate Covenant Free in oppositiâ—â— to all conditions to be performed by us Pray do not mistake me I do not say there is no condition in the New Covenant but the Condition is performed by Christ our second Adam Nor do I say that Faith Obedience and Repentance are not required but I say Faith Obedience and Repentance are required in the New Covenant as Duties but not as Conditions This I say then it is a free Covenant in opposition to all conditions to be performed by us for when the Covenant of Grace is mentioned in Scripture where do you find any condition annexed to any thing that is there promised saith the Lord I will remember your sins no more Upon what condition none mentioned I will write my Law in your hearts Upon what condition none mentioned You shall all know me from the greatest to the least c. Upon what condition none mentioned Where do you ever find the Covenant mentioned with a condition And plainly thus if there were a Condition the Condition must be a distinct thing from the thing promised If I promise to go a journey with a man upon Condition he shall bear my charges his bearing my charges and my going the journey are distinct things Now what Condition then can there be What Faith Repentance or Obedience Why these are all promised in the Covenant therefore they cannot be the Condition for the thing promised in the Covenant and the Condition that we are to perform must be distinct I say if there be a Condition it must be distinct from the thing promised but there is nothing that we can perform but is promised in the Covenant therefore there can be no Condition The Prophet Isaiah tells us that this Covenant is after the nature of that Covenant that God made with Noah That the World should be drowned no more and that iâ— absolute and upon no Condition Junius thinks that upon this account this Covenant of Grace iâ— called a Testament for saith he a Testament is without Condition A man makes his last Will and Testament and though now and then a man may hang a Condition upon a Rebellious Child yet ordinarily a man then gives and he gives freely without all Conditions and so this Covenant is called a Testament Why because no Condition is to be performed by us That is the second thing it is a free Covenant in opposition to all Conditions to be performed by our selves 3. As it is a free Covenant in opposition to alâ— Conditions to be performed by us so it is an everlasting Covenant a Covenant of Salt that cannoâ— be broken which my Covenant they brake saith God speaking of the former Covenant and saith he in that place of Zech. I took my staff of Beauty the Covenant and brake it God brake it that is the former Covenant But now this Covenant of Grace is an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure an everlasting Covenant that cannot be broken And thus you see what kind of Covenant it is It is a Covenant of Grace in opposition to all works and worth in us a Free Covenant in opposition to all Conditions to be performed by us and an everlasting Covenant Lo this is the Covenant that is stricken with the Children of Men. 4. But then fourthly Who are the Subjects of this Covenant and who are the persons that God doth strike or make this Covenant with First This Covenant of Grace is not made or stricken with all the particular men in the world A New Covenant will I make with the house of Israel not with all the particular men in the world If this New Covenant of Grace were made with all the particular men in the world then all the particular men in the world should have the Law of God written in their hearts and should all know God and all have their sins pardoned for so saith the Covenant by an absolute promise which must be fulfilled And upon this account it follows that Christ did not dye for every particular man in the world for Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant therefore if the New Covenant be not made with every particular man Christ did not dye for every particular man but the New Covenant is not made with all the particular men in the world as you have heard 2. As this New Covenant is not made with all the particular men in the world so neither is it made with all that live under the Gospel Though Ishmael lived in Abrahams house and so the skirt of the Covenant might be thrown over him yet in Isaac shall thy Seed be called saith God A man may be in a Church yet not of the Church as a man may be in a house and yet not of the house This Covenant is not made with all particular men that live under the Gospel But who is it stricken with Plainly thus If the Law of the Gospel be written in your hearts so that it is natural for you to do the work of the Gospel as it is natural to an heathen to do the work of nature because the Law of nature is written in his heart then is this Covenant made with you for thus runs the Covenant I will write my Law in your hearts 2. If that you are taught of God having an holy instinct unto what is good As the Bee being taught of God finds the way home to the Hive by an instinct and the Lamb being taught of God find out his Dam amongst a thousand Sheep So I say If you be taught of God having an holy instinct unto what is good then are you in Covenant witâ— God for thus runs the Covenant You shall aâ— know me and every one shall be taught of God 3. If an heart of stone be taken away and a yielding heart be given unto you whereby you yield tâ— Gods Impressions to Gods Instructions and to God Corrections then are you in Covenant with God for thus runs the Covenant I will take away thâ— heart of stone and give an heart of flesh a heart oâ— flesh is a yielding heart 4. If you are begotten again to God by the promise especially the absolute promise then aâ—â— you in Covenant with God There were two Son of Abraham the Child of the Bond-woman anâ— the Child of the Free-woman saith the Apostle these were Types And wherein did they differ Why the Child of the Bond-woman was born after the Flesh but the Child of the Free-woman was born by the Promise onâ—ly by the Promise an absolute Promise and therefore I say if you be born again by the Promise the absolute Promise then are you in Covenant with God And to say no more in it but this If you be the Seed of Christ then is this Covenant made with you for it is
Reward Christ himself had All love of reward is not Mercenary But for a man to serve God mostly chiefly onely upon the account of wages and for reward this is plainly Legal A man of a Gospel spirit knows that he lives upon a better Purse than all his own earnings can amount unto But 2. A legal Spirit also is a fearing Spirit put on rather by the Threatning than by the Promise a Gospel spirit rather by the promise than the threatning In the times of the Old Testament the Threatning reigned And if you look into Deuteronomy you shall find that when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached and declared the mind of God unto the people he begins with Curses and Threatnings Deut. 27. They were upon two Hills and v. 14. The Levites shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice Cursed be the man that maketh any Graven or Molten Image an abomination unto the Lord. Cursed be he that setteth â—eight by his Father or his Mother And Cursed be he that removeth his Neighbours Land-mark and so he goes on with Curses In the 28. Chap. then comes the blessings It shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice â—f the Lord thy God to observe and do to all his Commandments which I command thee this day That the Lord thy God will set thee on High above all Nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy Cattel the increase of thy Kine and the flocks of thy Sheep Mark how the Blessing comes after First comes the Curse when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached But now look into the 5th of Matth. and ye find that when Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant comes to preach that he begins with Blessing Blessed are the poor in spirit and blâ—ssed are the meek and blessed are those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness and blessed and blessed First comes the blessing and then afterwards in the following part of the Chapter comes the Law and the curse And if you look into this Scripture you find the difference also for saith the Apostle here We are not come unto the Mount that might be touched that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet and the voice of words which they could not endure so terrible was the sight thereof But ye are come to mount Sion Would you know the difference between the dispensations the one is terrible the other comfortable The one is fearing and the other comforting Look in the 10th of Rom. The Apostle there also makes the difference between the Spirit of the Law and the Gospel Moses saith he v. 5. describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them Do and live but at the 6. verse The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven It don't hold the soul in suspence and anxiety and fear and trouble Christ hath ascended and Christ hath descended Quest But you will say May not a man that is of a Gospel spirit and that is come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant be full of fears May not a good and gratious soul be full of fears about his condition Answ I answer He may but his fears do arise from the weakness of his Adherence and Faith The other's fears do rather arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon As for example Two men are affraid of drowning one stands upon a Rock and he is affraid of being drown'd the other stands upon a Quick-sand and he 's affraid of being drown'd both are affraid He that stands upon a Rock is affraid of drowning why because he is affraid he shall be washt off His fear arises from the weakness of his Adherence But the other's fear arises from the unsoundness of the ground he stands upon for it is upon a Quick-sand So here are two fears a gracious Gospel-heart fears and a Legalist fears One fears from the weakness of his Adherence I am upon the Rock but I am affraid I shall be washt off But the other's fears arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon he stands upon the Quick-sand upon his own duties and his own works so that a legal Spirit is a fearing Spirit He is put on rather by the Threatnings than the Promise The other by the Promise rather than the Threatning The one is kept from evil by his delight in good and the other is put on to good by his fear of evil That 's the second 3. In the times of the Old Testament they did very much measure the love of God by outward things For the Promises as you know then were mostly concerning Temporal things and so they measured the love of God much by those outward things But now in the times of the New Testament our Promises are mostly spiritual and therefore a New Testament spirit measures the love of God most by Spiritual things and not by these outward things 4. A legal Old Testament spirit trades much or most or altogether with conditional Promises for the Old Covenant Promises were most conditional and ran conditionally But now when God promises the New Covenant he gives out an absolute Promise and therefore a New Testament spirit trades much with absolute promises For he knows and you may know that though a promise be conditional the Lord hath promised the very condition in another Scripture and that without a condition And he knows and you may know that when God gives a promise with an Oath though the promise do run conditionally it shall be fulfilled absolutely 5. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the promise for Christ was not yet come but promised But now in the times of the New Testament we come first to Christ and so unto the Promise for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ 6. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the Law and without the Law they might not come to Christ For the Law was a School-master for to bring to Christ But now in the time of the New Testament The Law is not our School-master for to bring to Christ And though seldome any go to Heaven but come by the gates of Hell And seldome men do come to Christ now but they have some
his own Blood But Jesus did he offered up himself by the Eternal Spirit as in the 9th of the Heb. 3. And though Abel and the Fathers of the Old Testament offered excellent sacrifices yet they offered often and so those sacrifices could not make the Commers thereunto perfect saith the Apostle But Christ offered himself once for all And so he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 4. Though Abel and the Fathers in the Old Testament did offer excellent sacrifices yet their sacrifice was after their sin committed when they had commited a sin then they were to get a sacrifice and possibly they might have died before the sacrifice was offered but the sacrifice of Christ is before our sin is committed we cannot die between the sin and the sacrifice 5. And though Abel and the Fathers of the Old Testament offered excellent sacrifices the blood whereof was sprinkled on the people yet that was but to the purifying of the flesh for saith the Apostle at the 13th v. of the 9th Chap. If the Blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh c. But the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus purgeth our Consciences from dead works How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Upon which words saith Capellus you have here the excellencie of this offering above all other offerings in the World above the offerings of the Heathen above the offerings of the Jews above the offerings of the Christians Above the offerings of the Heathens for they sacrificed to Devills but he offered himself without spot to God Above the sacrifice of the Jews for their blood of sprinkling sanctifyed to the purifying of the Flesh but this to the purging of your Conscience from dead works Above the offering of the Christians for though Christians offer up spiritual sacrifices to God as prayers and thanksgivings yet not without spot but he offered himself through the Eternal spirit without spot to God 6. And then Though Aâ—el offered an excellent sacrifice and so the Fathers of the Old Testament yet notwithstanding those were for themselves and for those times Abel offered for himself and the Jews for themselves for that time onely but Christ offered a sacrifice for all the World He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World and a Lamb slain from the beginning of the Wâ—rld 7. Again though Abel offered an excellent sacrifice and the Fathers of the Old Testament offeâ—ed excellent sacrifices and the blood thereof was sprinkled yet it was not sprinkled upon all things but in the 9th Heb 't is said Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministry and almost all things are by the Law purged with blood It was but almost but now by the blood of Jesus all things are purged and cleansed not almost but all things are purged and cleansed Thus now you see what this blood of sprinkling speaketh and how it speaketh better things then the blood of Abel better than his Personal blood and better than his sacrificed blood and that 's the second General 3. Now 3 unto this blood of sprinkling are we come in these Gospel-tâ—mes We are not come unto the blood of Bulls and Goats and heifers but we are come unto the blood of Jesus the blood of sprinkling For what is the dispensation that we are now under but the dispensation of a crucâ—fied Christ There are two Comings of Christ mention'd in the Scripture A coming in a way of meanness riding upon an Ass his first coming is in a way of humiliatâ—on riding upon an Ass and accordingly his Kingdom is a Kingdom of Patience And there is a coming second Coming of Christ when he comes riding upon the Clouds in power and Great Glory and accordingly his Kingdom then shall be a Kingdom of power and Glory When Christ comes the second time we shall be under Glorious dispensations but now we are under the first Coming of Christ and therefore what is the Dispensation that now we are under but the dispensation of a crucified Christ What doth a Preaching signifie and hold forth but Christ crucified We Preach Christ crucified saith the Apostle What do the Sacraments hold forth why This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood saith he So that now we are under the Dispensation of a crucified Christ In the times of the Old Covenant they did believe in God and God himself was the first object of their Faith and so they came to Christ now in these times of the New Testament the first and immediat object of our Faith is the blood of Christ Faith in the Blood of Christ Rom 3. So that I say It is the blood of Jesus that now we are come unto Well but though in these Gospel-times we are now come to the blood of Jesus the blood of sprinkling yet it may be this blood of sprinkling may not be sprinkled upon my soul When may the blood of sprinkling be said to be sprinkled upon a mans soul How shall I know whether this blood of sprinkling be sprinkled upon my soul in particular that 's a Question of great Concernment Thus therefore 1. If it be your great work in all your Temptations and upon all Occasions to apply your selves unto the blood of Jesus then is the blood of Jesus applyed to you and so sprinkled on you The blood of Jesus is sprinkled on us by the Spirit of God and when it 's sprinkled by the Spirit of God it is applyed If you do make applications of your selves to Christ certainly Christ hath made applications of Himself to you for all our grace is but a reflexion of his Grace we love him because he loved us first and we choose him because he chose us first and we apply our selves to him because he hath applyed himself unto us first If therefore in all Temptations and upon all occasions it be your great work to make an application of your selves unto the blood of Jesus then hath the blood of Jesus been applyed to you and sprinkled upon you 2. If you ever have had such a sight of the blood of Christ as that thereby you are purged from an evil Conscience Then hath this blood been applyed to and sprinkled on you They go together In the 10th Heb. 22 it s said Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience or purged the 9th of the Hebrews calls it purged having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience What is that why an evil Conscience is an evil Conscience two wayes either because it is a sluggish Conscience and don 't stirr us up unto our duty and accuse for sin or else because it is a clamorous