Christ they have been shaken in their bottoms being legal and thought if they took up from their sins and had a kind of sorrow for them and then set themselves to obey the law strictly be close in the Sabbath and some such duties that God would accept them being still ignorant at least practically that when they were convinced of sin they were to see where to have a righteousness and how to get into Christ and have life and strength in and from him for their new Obedicence which is that I drive at in this and my afterwards discourse in opening the New Creature as in Christ Having premised this I come to speak to the first particular laid down namely Observ 1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their natural estate are under the Law By the Law I do not mean the Mosaical or old Testament way of worship But by the law I understand that which we stile the moral law the law of the ten Commandments that was written in Adams heart and afterwards given out by God unto Moses at Mount Sinai and promised in the New Covenant to be written again in the hearts of all that are really called into the grace of ihe Covenant Ezek. 36.27 To be under the Law is an Expression familiar to you you know what it is to live under a law To be under this law of God then bespeaks these things 1. To be under it is to be bound over to the exact fulfilling it See Rom. 10.15 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall live by them that is it to be bound over to the fulfilling and doing of the law which if done exactly without the least deviation there is life promised to it But upon the least transgression of it to be liable to the penalty which God hath pronounced against the transgressors of it 2. It follows thence that to be under the Law is to be bound over to the whole Law in its full and perfect latitude as it reacheth the whole Man Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Mark well the tenour of these words Here is required of every one an exact doing not only purposing and thinking to do and that not only of some or the most of the Law but in all things and that not only for a time but a Continuance of doing so or else under the curse One sinful thought hath a curse belonging to it as well as the breach of the whole Law if under the Law Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law 1 John 3.4 3. To be under the Law is to be subject to and to be under all the curses threatnings judgments wrath that it threateneth to the transgressors of it here and for ever Whatsoever the Law saith in point also of judgment and wrath it saith to all that are under it 4. To be under it is to be bound to make God satisfaction in our own persons for the breach of it I mean while under it every soul is so obliged to make satisfaction to the justice of God If a poor soul be in his natural estate and so under the Law he must stand or fall to the Law God expects personal satisfaction from every soul that sinneth against it that will stand to his keeping the Law in whole or in part and God in his justice can bate nothing of what he hath spoken Now That all Men and Women are by nature as of and in the first Adam thus under the Law to wit to be bound up to it and to have life only upon the exact and perfect fulfilling of it to be bound up to the whole Law subject to the curse of it upon the transgression of one part bound to make God satisfaction in his own person for any breach thereof I briefly prove Saith Paul Rom. 6.14 Ye are not under the Law but under grace Implying till a soul is brought under grace the Covenant of grace justifying and sanctifying grace in and by Jesus Christ he is under the Law whosoever he be so Gal. 4.5 To redeem them that were under the law c. implying also that all mankind are naturally under it till under the power and efficacy and priviledge of Christ's Redemption The main reasons of it are All are under this law because all Mankind were bound up under the same Covenant with Adam who was a publick person representing all mankind as a man may bind up himself and his posterity to such and such Conditions and such a Covenant decree or obligation binds his posterity in Law so was Adam bound up to God See Rom. 5.12 the special Scripture that proves this truth Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned So verse 16 17 18 19. by one that sinned c. by one mans offence death reigned by one by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Implying clearly that the guilt of Adam as representing all his posterity was and is imputed to all and therefore all were and are bound over to the same Law bottomed upon that word of the Lord to Adam by which God put the Covenant upon him Gen. 2.17 For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Adam had the law of Holiness and Righteousness the Moral Law written in his heart before and his nature perfect which bound him over to obey every command of his God now God gave out that external law unto him by way of trial in which the form of the Covenant was implied but sinning against that he transgressed the Moral law written in his heart also which bound him over to obey God in all things so that the sin of Adam was at least virtually a transgression of the moral law now abiding and obliging mankind which law we all brake in him as it was given to all in him and being written in Adam's heart it was as much as if it had been actually written in the hearts of all mankind which doth also appear by the remnants of the Law as that there is a God and man should be just and remaining in the hearts of all Therefore by nature we are all bound up to and are under this law 2. It doth appear that all do sin and transgress this law of God therefore they are under the penalty and condemnation of it This Argument the Apostle brings to prove the same thing verse 9. of this 3d. of the Rom. For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin And verse 12. They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Thefore seeing all do sin they are bound to answer the law as you use
and by the same power doth uphold them to which first Being all the creatures must owe their homage and conformity Now though such a glimmering of light can never suffice to lead a soul to the true worshipping of God as the Apostle there argues yet it leaves the creature without excuse which is that I am proving from it 6. All the Children of men do sin presumptuously wilfully and obstinately against the Law of God mans sin being not so much from his weakness to obey the law though weak he is but from the rebellion of his will against God and his law as it is in the case of disobeying the call of the Gospel also Now whatsoever a man doth presumptuously and wilfully it leaves him without all excuse and this is it that is charged upon the Children of men by the holy Ghost in the word that their sin was obstinate rebellion against the great God From all these the truth of the Assertion doth appear that every Transgressor of the Law is without all excuse before God 7. As the Creature hath no excuse for his sin so it follows he hath no pretence against the righteous judgment of God We are sure the judgment of God is according to truth Rom. 2.2 and Chap. 3.4 That thou may'st be justified in thy savings and clear when thou art judged that is whatever any sinner may dispute to the contrary God is righteous when he judgeth if the Law be just and holy and good once written in his his heart and had a power to have kept it that God hath given out this law again to him the remnants of it in his heart so much to be known of God in the Creatures and that he sins presumptuously and wilfully against God and so blessed a law made for his own good certainly must every sinner conclude the Lord is righteous when he judgeth and every mouth must be stopped Vse 1. If it be so that no sinner in the world hath any justifiable excuse for his sin then let this truth come in into your consciences and strike off all vain pretences and wretched excuses when you have sinned against the Lord which usually are such as these when sinners break forth into this or that rebellious way they cry Oh! 't is my nature my natural disposition and then they think that excuseth or allayeth the matter whereas it aggravates for we our selves corrupted our natures Saith another I have been so accustomed to such a way to drink to excess sometimes to swear to use the Lords name vainly and as a by-word whereas the custom of sinning is the greatest and most grievous aggravation of it Saith another 't is my company that draws me or the example of others or 't is my temptation when they are under the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Or that they do keep the Law as well as they can and think this will excuse Whereas nothing no plea that ever a sinful deceitful heart put up or that the Devil suggests can before God excuse any sinner in the world rich or poor knowing or ignorant from the exact and perfect keeeping of the Law if they are under the Law but upon one transgression of it the law doth most justly condemn and curse them Nothing is more natural to fallen man under sin than when having sinned to devise an excuse and thinks and surmiseth that because such an excuse will be taken by his own blinded Conscience therefore God will also accept of it and so flatters himself in his own eyes till his iniquity be found to be hateful Psal 36.2 Thus Adam as soon as he had sinn'd he thought how to excuse the matter puts it off to the woman and the woman to the Devil which trade sinners have well learnt and have driven it on ever since to their own damnation Observe this if every sinner yet under the law and the power of sin had not some vain pretence and excuse to ensilence conscience and foolishly thinks to insinuate unto God he or she must needs fall down before the Lord see all their pretences and coverts to be damnable flatteries and soul-cheatings and so Judge themselves and pronounce God most righteous if he damn them for ever Oh therefore Sinners Away with all your pretences no more excusing but judging and go to the great God and fall down at his feet crying out Oh I am a Transgressor the Law condemns me no excuse will be taken my mouth is now stopped whatever God do with me he is most holy and righteous If I were going to Hell I must justifie God and cannot say unto him why doest thou thus Thus 't is with a poor soul when the Lord by his word and spirit discovers sin reveals the law lays it in upon the conscience discovers the Holiness and Exactness of his Justice that the law shews no mercy but crys out for fulfilling or pronounceth absolute condemnation then I say a sinner crys out Oh I am cast by the Law I am gone by the Law All my Pleas are found too light All my endeavours to keep it is worth nothing if guilty in the least while I am under the law I must find out a righteousness elsewhere another way or Condemnation just condemnation is my portion for ever Here 's the first stroak of a convinced sinner when God is outing him from himself and all his Coverts or Excuses and brings him naked to put on the righteousness of his Son Jesus Christ freely held out in the Gospel which is the work in hand 2. If no excuse can be heard or taken for the the transgression of the Law for but one breach of it but every mouth is stopped how much less will any excuse be taken for withstanding the Gospel of grace by Jesus Christ Saith our blessed Lord If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is not so great sin and comdemnation but now they have no cloak nor excuse for their sin If a righteous law leave all the world without excuse much more a Gospel that offers free grace and pardon and righteousness by Jesus Christ to any sinner condemned by the Law that will come in as so condemn'd and accept of the free gift of Righteousness by him But that I may yet a little further labour to bring in the sense of Guilt upon the soul I shall prove every soul guilty before God of the transgression of the Law and shew what the sense of guilt is which few there are that have in a saving way Observ 3. Every soul in the world is guilty before God of the transgression of the Law And all the world may become guilty before God This hath been proved where we have shew'd that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God This guilt is threefold which is set home upon every sinners heart when convinc'd of sin by the spirit 1. The guilt of Adams sin which stands charg'd
more to live out of my self for my Justification and to be kept a poor empty nothing for ever before the Lord if this I say be thy experience then thou shalt have peace and joy in the Holy Ghost thou may'st rejoyce in a justified estate Christ his Righteousness Grace Spirit Heaven are thine Having now laid open the Sinner as under the Law excuseless guilty and under Condemnation under an impossibility of obtaining righteousness and acceptance with God by the best endeavours to keep the Law I would now set upon the opening the Gospel-Righteousness by Jesus Christ through which only a poor condemned Sinner can find acceptance but that I conceive it first needful to speak a word to those words in the close of the 22th verse viz. For there is no difference which may further help on the conviction we have been upon The Jew might object to the Apostle thus you by your Doctrine seem to conclude all under the Law equally and under guilt you make no difference between us Jews who have the Law and endeavour to keep it and the open prophane Gentiles and Sinners in this you do us wrong No saith the Apostle There 's no difference you who in part keep the Law are under the same condemnation as others that which I shall lay down will be this Observ There is no difference between the most prophane person and the righteous and sober as to justification or condemnation by the Law I mean this the just sober man as to his keeping of the Law outwardly or in part is in as damnable estate as the profanest wretch in the world This will hardly go down but 't is most clear from the Apostles words read unto you and hath been in part proved by shewing all the Sons and Daughters of Adam Jews and Gentiles sober and ungodly all under the Law But a little further to prosecute this Doctrine for where a man or woman who hath lived honestly or soberly in the eye of the world but yet out of Christ convinced that he or she were in as bad and damnable a condition as any great sinner in the world it might be a startling to them and a means through the Spirit 's working to bring them off their vain confidence and to lead them to Christ Now that I may clear this let us first consider what it was that might difference the sober Jew from the prophane idolatrous Gentile it being the same which such as conceive themselves sober harmless people in this day do put confidence in 1. The Jew was Circumcised which was the first Ordinance of the Old Testament-Church as Baptism is of the New and it doth appear this was much insisted on by the Jew by what the Apostle speaks Rom. 2. vers 18 19. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God 2. They had the Scriptures of God Rom. 3.2 Vnto them were committed the Oracles of God which indeed the Apostle calls an Advantage in the same place as it might be a means to lead them to the knowledge of God and to the Promise of Jesus Christ but no advantage at all as to the meer having them read and opened and in a general Faith believing them as the more to justifie them in the sight of God 3. The Jews were under the publick Service of God such as was ordained by God himself Rom. 9.4 5. 4. They were for the most part righteous to Men and sober and blameless in the outward man Ye indeed are they which are righteous before men as the Lord often speaks of them Now 't is most clear that these things did not difference the Jew as to acceptation with God and Jesus Christ from the most profane sinner for the Lord Jesus Christ rejected these and call'd to himself Publicans and Harlots and tells the Jews that such should enter into the Kingdom of God before them Matth. 21.31 As might be further instanc'd in the case of the Pharisee and Publican Luke 18.9 Now the Reasons of this point have been before hinted namely that a meer sober Man under Christian Priviledges is no more accepted with Christ nor in any nearer capacity to come to Christ than the greatest sinner because one sin puts a man under the condemnation of the Law as well as a million of sins against it one fellony condemns a man as well as a thousand and the Malefactor must dye by the Law for it All the good a man doth will not be imputed to him if he be found a transgressor in one part of the Law Ezek. 18.24 All men come short of the glory of God in the fulfilling of the Law and he that falls short but in one mile is in as bad a case as he that falls short twenty miles Jesus Christ accepts of no man for his righteousness but as a Sinner nothing else but a Sinner so that still the case of a just man in reference to the Law is as dangerous as the greatest sinners in the world Vse A little further to press this you who are baptized have a general belief of the Scriptures are under part of the publick service of God are just and harmless as to men but yet are under the power of Vnbelief and see it not are not born again of the Spirit are not in Christ Jesus You who rest satisfied in such a condition and think your hope for Heaven well-grounded and will not be beaten off it I must tell you and 't is proved unto your Consciences from the Word of the Lord that there 's no difference between you and the vilest sinners in the Country as to your acceptance with God Though it be thus with you yet as you have been shewed you may be under the Law condemned for one transgression and what can you be more than be condemned Neither doth all this as in it self any more prepare you for Jesus Christ and therefore let all the Convictions Arguments Demonstrations we have produced from the clear light of the Word of the Lord at last prevail with you that you who thus satisfie your selves because you are baptized believe the Scriptures frequent the service of God are just and sober therefore it is well with you and you will trouble your selves no further in the matter of your Salvation that the estate of your Souls is as unsafe and desperate how secure soever as the vilest Drunkard in the Country Therefore let this Conviction have force upon your Conscience that you must come anew to Jesus Christ as a meer sinner having nothing to commend you to him Say from the Light of the Word though I have thus satisfied my self pleas'd my self in these Duties and outward Priviledges yet there 's no difference between me and the
to phrase it and are subject to whatsoever the Law pronounceth against the transgressors of it 3. All the partial keeping of the Law will not deliver a Soul from that penalty that belongs to the breach of the whole Keep me all or none as to your deliverance from the curse saith the law But this I am further to prove when I speak to the next verse The impossibility of a sinners being accepted by his best keeping of the law Vse 1. Are all Men and Women in the World young and old naturally under the law bound over to the most exact and rigorous fulfilling it under a curse and are indeed under all the curses and threatnings it pronounceth and bound to make God satisfaction in your persons while you are under it Oh! let every poor Sinner be convinced of it what a state is this for any poor soul to rest it self satisfied in who is the man or woman that is not a transgressor of it and therefore see to it and that before the execution of judgment come upon thee without remedy Sinner if thou wast condemned by the Law and under a sense of death how wouldst beg for a reprieve and beg of all thy friends to interpose for thee what an amazing word would it be to thee Thou art condemned to dye Ah sinner 't is the case of thy precious soul Thou art condemn'd to eternal death by the law of God the sentence is pronounc'd from the righteous Judge of Heaven Away Sinner with all speed to a Mercy seat Acknowledge thy condemation just by the Law go to the great and potent Advocate of Heaven Jesus Christ the righteous put thy case into his hand tell him thou bast none else to make to and that thou hast heard he hath helped many a condemned Sinner in the same case as thou art and that thou hast heard he hath laid down a price for such as thou art to redeem them from the curse of the Law Follow him and if he speak but a word to the just and great God for thee the sentence of the law is remitted a pardon of grace comes forth and at last the Holy Ghost shall be sent from the Father and the Son to witness it and seal it in thy own Conscience and that blessed word shall be thine Therefore there is now no condemnation c. who shall condemn me since Jesus Christ hath cleared me and hath made the Court of Heaven for me Go and ponder in thy soul every day and say Is' t nothing to be under a Curse condemned by a Law to be damned for ever shall I let my poor soul lie in such a case one hour longer especially when a way I hear is open'd to me to get from under it Say what satisfaction can I wretched creature make to the righteous God None but by suffering what infinite justice will lay upon me which is no less than infinite punishment Oh! get in upon thy conscience what it is to be condemned by the great God to lye under guilt to have no plea or excuse by the Law left thee which I will labour to prove to thy conscience and then further urge thee which is the import of the next point Obser 2. A transgressor of the law as he hath nothing to boast in so he hath nothing to excuse himself for his sin or from the righteous judgment of God due unto him which is drawn from these words That every mouth may be stopped c. This the Apostle intimates Rom. 2.1 Therefore thou art inexcusable O man c. speaking to the Jew who went about to free himself And the judgment of God is according to truth against them which do such things verse 2. Reason 1. A poor sinner hath nothing to excuse himself for sinning against the law of God because the law is good and righteous Rom. 7.12 Therefore the law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good saith Paul when he was under such a Conviction of sinning against it as we are pressing So 1 Tim. 1.8 But we know that the law is good c. 'T is a Law that gives glory to the Creator and all good and blessedness as in it self to the Creature A Law that 's full of all wisdom and blessedness takes care for the good blessing peace order of the whole Creation that man might not sin against his Maker nor in the least harm nor think to do so his fellow creature so that its proper end is goodness preservation to all Now what excuse for a creature most concern'd in the good of it for sinning against such a Law what hath a creature to say for himself how inexcusable is he before God Angels and Men 2. God writ this holy and blessed Law in the heart of Adam as he was a publick person whereby he and in him all mankind had power to keep it therefore the sinner hath no excuse before God He gave man a power though he did not lay a necessity upon his will but left them to the liberty of it but man corrupted himself Gen. 6.12 Whereby he disabled himself from keeping the Law Now if a man disable himself it can be no rational excuse for neglecting the duty so that his Mouth is stopped as to any plea or excuse before the Lord. 3. Though man had blurred and defaced the fair and original Copy of this holy and good law written in his heart yet God gave it forth again by Moses in Legible Characters one end whereof was to leave all Mankind without excuse therefore this strikes off all plea for the sinner especially to such to whom it is revealed 4. There is a remnant of this Law yet in the heart of Adam which though not sufficient to enable him to an exact performance of it yet enough to leave him without excuse so Paul Rom. 2.15 to prove this point we are now upon speaking of the Gentiles Which shew the works of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another There is enough of the law remaining in every mans heart to accuse him when he doth evil and excuse him so far as he doth right though man by habitual sinning doth much stifle it so that this also helps to aggravate his sin and to leave him without all plea or excuse 5. There is that to be known of God in the creatures that may and doth leave a sinner without all excuse for sinning against him this the Apostle argues as to this very purpose Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and god head so that they are without excuse c. The creatures could not say we will make our selves thus and thus and subsist in such an order and harmony therefore there was one first Infinite Being who made all things
the law Now mark you The same Law can't at once justifie and condemn bless and curse quit and judge save and condemn if it therefore condemn in the least it cannot quit by all that ever a soul hath done or may do towards fufilling it I instanced before if a man that lives under the law of England all the laws of it and he be found a transgressor of one law that is to be punished with death it will not be a good plea for him that he never brake any other law that deserves death No saith the Judge you must dye for this so as I have shew'd the law pronounceth death to the breach of any one Commandment any part of one as well as to the breach of the whole Therefore he that pleads as the Pharisee did and was never the more accepted that he is no murtherer no blasphemer no thief no adulterer 't is all one as if thou hast ever had an unholy thought in thy heart as thou hast had thousands as thou art under the Law thou art condemned if this indeed had been the tenour of the law as it was a Covenant between God and the first Adam that if thou and thy posterity shall endeavour to keep the law as well as you can though you sail in some part yet you shall be accepted then this had been a good plea before God that you have so endeavour'd to keep it but 't is not so the Covenant doth not run so but as hath been shewed it runs thus Here 's a holy and righteous law saith God the matter of the Covenant between us if you break it in any one least part of it and but once you are condemn'd and all your other righteousness shall not be imputed to you This hath been proved from several Scriptures and I think 't is the hardest thing in the World to be spiritually and practically convinced of it such is the exactness of the Law that it admits of no bartering of no terms whatsoever it still crys fulfill me to the utmost or dye 3. The third Reason which strikes off all hope of acceptance with God by keeping the Law as well as you can is taken from the sinfulness of those very duties and works which you place such acceptance in There is a sinfulness in every such duty though the matter of the duty be good yet the manner of performing it by any natural man is wholly sinful yea there 's a mixture of sin in the most holy performances of any regenerate soul in the world which he is sensible of but I am dealing with the natural man as to his opinion of his good keeping the law I say there 's nothing but sin in their performances the principle they proceed from is wholly sinful viz. a corrupted polluted heart and nature Can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.18 Can a corrupt fountain send forth sweet waters James 3.11 No more can a corrupt defiled heart bring forth any duty or work but what is loathsome to God full of all impurity This a natural man is not able to see nor consider of till convinc'd by the Holy Ghost and therefore 't is that he rests only in performing the matters and bulk of duties to God and his Neighbour but with what heart and the unholiness of it he weighs not Upon this account it is that the Scriptures speak at such a rate of natural Men that they are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 That his soul hates them he cannot away with them they are iniquity they are a trouble to him Isa 1. And that he casts them back as dung upon their faces Mal. 2.3 Therefore if there be more than sin enough in that best keeping of the Law towards God or Man to damn a soul for ever Certainly a soul shall be never the better nor at all accepted for such a keeping of it That which in it self hath sin nothing but sin in the manner of it cannot be a means to quit a soul from other sin by which he hath brought guilt upon himself let this be well considered and nothing but a Christ would be your cry to purpose indeed 4. The fourth Reason or Convincement of this truth that the best endeavour to keep the law will not give you more acceptance with God nor take away any guilt from off thy soul is because such duties and keeping the Law are but of the outward man which is far from reaching the Compass of the law The law is spiritual Rom. 7.14 that is it reacheth to the inwards parts to the motions of the heart as hath been before hinted and not only to the outward man therefore our blessed Lord seeing the Jews insisting so much that they were outwardly blameless spends a large discourse Mat. 5.6 7. to beat them off their confidence in being outwardly righteous and proves a man a murderer by the Law for one wrathful thought in his heart Mat. 5.21 22. Upon this conviction you have him as oft as he spake to the Jews that we may see the weight of this Doctrine See Luke 16.19 15. And the Pharisees also who were covetuous heard all these things and they derided him And he said unto them ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of God Jesus Christ was convincing the wickedness of a covetous heart the Jews who were carnal and formal made a slight matter of this seeing they were outwardly blameless and wronged no body Ay but saith Christ God knoweth your hearts and his eye is most upon them and though you are outwardly righteous before men and this is a matter highly esteemed of among men that you are righteous and blameless yet 't is an abomination to God see how severe the Lord is in pressing of this it being the great let of his Ministery and of the Jews stumbling at the Gospel as it is with us Mat. 23. his last Sermon I conceive he preacht to them verse 25. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye make clean the outside of the cup and platter but within they are full of extortion and excess so with the same woe pronounced verse 27. Ye are like unto whited sepulchers which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness verse 28. Even so also ye outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of Hypocrisie and iniquity Mark the Lords words within ye are thus and thus as if the Lord should say God regards not what you are outwardly and your observing the law with the outward man seeing you have abundance of all iniquity within which every unregenerate soul in the world hath so you may see that an outward keeping of the law stands for nothing in the account of God whatever it do with men and your selves which you hear Jesus Christ gives
forth as the mark of an Hypocrite Now you have heard the law requires inward as well as outward perfection perfect holiness within as well as righteousness in the outward man I verily believe want of this conviction upon the soul sends more souls to Hell than any other thing in the world besides how confident are poor Creatures if they are a little consciencious in dealing and sober and blameless to men this you may be and be no better than Devils as in your selves in Gods account and thy best Character from Jesus Christ Mat. 23.26 is a Blind Pharisee Every place I fear abounds with them therefore this inveterate cursed plea of being outwardly blameless in keeping the Law will not in the least render you more accepted with God but 't is at the best but painted Hypocrisie And yet wretched souls that you are none so well perswaded of themselves as these This is the fourth Reason 5. All the best keeping of the Law doth not cannot make satisfaction to God for one sin of thy soul therefore 't is worth nothing Gods Justice is wronged and if the sinner be remitted God must be satisfied by the sinner himself or by another Now all the obedience of a sinner cannot make satisfaction to God in the least if he had the whole world to offer up to God it could not satisfie him for the wrong of one Sin See that known place Micah 6.6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Implying that there is nothing that a poor sinner of himself can offer up to God to make atonement of satisfaction to God for the least sin of his soul should he offer up thousands of prayers rivers of tears whole ages spent in services to God take up to a severe new obedience if you should so take to a new course as never to sin more all your days it would not make God satisfaction or atonement for one evil thought of thy soul Now observe this for if thou art not rightly convinced of this thing thou art lost for ever 'T is naturally upon every man and womans heart that hath sinned to imagine that when they have sinned they can put off God as to his displeasure with something or other they will reckon what good they have done gone to Church as you style it given Alms been just to Men or some such thing and the poor blind Creature imagines and pleaseth himself in it that this good thus done will well enough pacifie God for his sins or at least he will go over some prayers and be strict for a little while and then they doubt not but God because also he presently smites not with judgment is well enough appayed and he need no more trouble himself Is not this the very way of your hearts hath not the word found you out Object But you will say why cannot these duties and this obedience satisfie and pacifie God well enough for sin Answ 1. Because there is sin mixt in them they come from a prophane heart as is shew'd in the last reason thou thou ignorantly because thou knowest not thy heart call'st it a good heart Now that which is in it self sinful cannot sure satisfie for sin 2. Because of the infiniteness of God's justice as well as purity of it a finite creature cannot offer up a proportionable attonement to an infinite God Suppose a poor man were under the guilt of treason and condemn'd to dye and he should go and offer up a little course broken bread to the Prince would any one think that this would satisfie the Prince for his treason So poor deceived creature thou art guilty of treason and rebellion against the great and most high God and thou comest and offerest up to him thy poor polluted broked obedience and duties and thinkest he will be satisfied with this whereas God may in the same moment justly send thee to Hell for the iniquity of them A poor sinful soul thinks that because such doings and services do satisfie himself his own conscience therefore he thinks they will satisfie God also because they quiet him upon any trouble for guilt he thinks they will also quiet God and take off his anger and justice from punishing him Poor Creature this thy way is thy folly and the ready way to come under the severe justice of the Almighty who will not thus be dealt with nor be thus bribed with thy cursed sacrifices this is a further convincement of the point all the creature can do cannot pacifie God for one sin and therefore all his best keeping of the law cannot justifie a poor sinner before God nor give him acceptance in the least with him till he sees pacification another way and takes up obedience from another principle and to another end as we are to shew 6. All a mans endeavour in setting himself to keep the law to the utmost cannot give him acceptance with God because it cannot give life to the soul Gal. 3.21 For if there had been a law which would have given life verily righteousness had come by the law Man hath procured death and weakness upon his soul and the law cannot give life nor strength to obey it All that righteousness which leaves the soul dead comes to nothing while a soul is under the law and upon the fulfilling of it as he hopes in a good measure still the soul is as dead as sin left it and void of the life of God True a poor soul thinks himself alive by his legal performances as Paul thought Rom. 7.9 but he is dead in sin and under the sentence of death by the Law and all the performances towards the keeping of it can never give a drop of life to such a poor soul They are dead works and there 's no life in them or from them therefore they stand no soul instead while under the law as under it he is whiles he goes upon this account 7. The main reason of all which is now but to be touched is this If a soul endeavouring to keep the law of God as well as he can may be accepted of God thereby what need Jesus Christ to have dyed 'T is Pauls great argument Rom. 8.3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us c. Mark ye what the law could not do that it could not give us a righteousness whereby God might accept us therefore God sent his Son in the flesh and condemned sin upon him which otherwise had been condemned
upon the sinner himself Another place to this purpose is Gal. 2. last I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain If there were a possibility of a Creatures attaining to such a degree of keeping the law as well as he can that might render him accepted with God and procure pardon wherein he failed then the dying of Jesus Christ was in vain to no purpose at all Take heed you that are outwardly righteous that you do not frustrate the grace of God and the death of Jesus Christ for ever to your own souls by thinking you endeavour to keep Gods law as well as you can and make some conscience of it and there fix your hope wholly or in part and so be undone for ever Another place in the same Epistle Gal. 4.4 5. speaks out the same truth But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons What need Jesus Christ to have dyed to redeem the elect from under the law if they had been able to reach forth to such a keeping of it that God might be well pleased with and with them in it Now Jesus Christ's being made under the Law implies these things which I now but hint forth 1. His being under the punishment of the Law which was due to such as were under it what ever the Law pronounced to the Transgressors of it Jesus Christ in effect did undergo it See Gal. 3. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the law being made a curse for us If good prayers making a conscience in dealing outward sobriety harming no body giving of Alms to poor people could have taken away the curse did the wise and blessed God do well in giving out his Son to be made a curse were prayers righteousness good deeds made a Curse They will be indeed in another sense if thou thinkest to be accepted by them 2. Jesus Christ being made under the Law was to satisfie Gods offended justice for the breach of the Law for such as shall be saved to make attonement for God Rom. 5.11 If now all that thou hast done or shalt ever do could make the least satisfaction or attonement to God in thy good keeping the Commandments as well as thou canst as hath been shew'd God might have kept his Son in Heaven and not sent him to make attonement for any sinners 3. To reconcile sinners unto God Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son c. If reconciliation to God can be had no other way but by the death of Jesus Christ will thy good endeavours for the time to come to keep the Law of God as well as thou canst and take up from a loose course will those I say reconcile thee to God See poor creature how little need thou thinkest thou hast of Jesus Christ and what a meer notion a Saviour is to thee when it comes to the Tryal 4. Jesus Christ died to work out Righteousness for all that shall be saved Now if thou could'st come up to such a degree of being righteous by thy fair and good carriage as thou thinkest to God and Man this righteousness of Jesus Christ was to little purpose Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Now see mistaken Soul how they hope to please God well enough and make him amends for thy sin by thy good endeavours to serve him in his Law as well as thou may'st makes void the whole design of God in the glorious gift of his eternal Son as much as in thee lyeth and robs him of the Glory of his Grace and makes thy Salvation if it might be had in such a way not of Grace but of Debt Rom. 4.4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of debt but of grace and thus thou in effect becomest thy own Saviour Yet bear with me a little further because a sinner can never be too thoroughly convinced of this matter let me shew you some examples in the Scriptures of such that thought as you do and as all men naturally do that they by their honest and conscionable endeavour to worship God and harm no body they should be saved and yet were found light in the ballance The first is that Pharisee Luke 18.11 He thanks God he was not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. Here was hope for his acceptance with God He was not so bad as others as many riotous prophane persons were not unjust in his dealings no Adulterer and should any one question his Salvation and going to Heaven Enough for great sinners to miss of Heaven and not such as he was reputed a good and honest man in his Country and amongst his Neighbours well thought of by most And yet for all this confidence and security a great sinner was accepted before him and he not justified in the sight of the God though he was in his own sight and the sight of others See another Mat. 19.20 which place hath been at large opened to you There came a young man a man of parts with the same confidence to reason with Jesus Christ about his condition the man conceived he wanted nothing that a man should have or do for Heaven All these things said he I have kept from my youth up meaning especially the second Table of the Law which Christ gave out not as thereby to put him upon the Law but to find him out and discover him under the Law When Jesus Christ searched the mans heart and finds him under the power of the love of the world as a reigning Soul damning Sin for all his outward blamelesness and so to discover his heart to himself puts him upon tryal of Self-denial away the man packs as mute as a fish and would hear no more as worldlings now of such Doctrine unless he could be a Disciple and part with nothing lose or venture nothing he would rest as he was and hope his being an honest sober man and well thought of would bring him to Heaven and so for ought appears cheated his Soul to Hell The case of Paul hath been often shew'd you he was as many of you think your selves blameless Phil. 3.6 lived in no known sin outwardly against the Law frequented the publick Worship made Conscience of his dealings was zealous of the traditions and customs of his Fathers and yet do you not hear him crying out of it all as loss ver 7. and 8. He thought it was his gain before that it would have gained him Heaven but now t is all loss his keeping the Church his outward blamelesness stands him not in the least stead but cryes out 't is All all loss for Jesus Christ the same Paul that before boasted and thought
vilest sinner in order to my acceptance with Jesus Christ Nay if this Conviction take upon thee thou wilt say to the glory of God and thy own Confusion If there be any difference 't is that thou art the greatest sinner having mock'd the Lord rested in out-side service dealt hypocritically with the jealous God offered him abominable sacrifice and therefore fit to be abhorred of the Lord for ever Oh! that this might be the posture of thy Soul and so thou may'st come and lye prostrate at the feet of Jesus Christ crying Oh! no more no more a righteous person but a sinner a guilty sinner a condemned sinner a poor blind naked sinner nothing else but a sinner Away with all my former confidences tear them from my heart Lord. Now Lord Jesus I cast my self upon thee Oh! let me creep unto thy blessed feet Oh! I come to thee not because I am righteous for I would abhor my self for ever in the thought of it but as a poor perishing sinner the worst of sinners an hypocritical sinner Oh! that I could take hold of thy righteousness to cover my naked Soul I expect it only upon the account of thy Free-Grace Oh Lord I come unto thee do not do not reject me And thus I have been endeavouring to lay the sinner before Jesus Christ in such a posture having proved him under the Law excuseless in his transgressing of it guilty before God under an impossibility of reaching to an acceptance with God by the best keeping of the Law laboured to beat him off such props and confidences that the Heart naturally cleaves to and stript him of all naked as Adam when he had sinned before the Lord as nothing else but a Sinner which is that I have driven at I now come to speak of the way of a poor Souls justification and acceptance with God by Jesus Christ as the Lord shall assist to the capacity of the weakest ROM 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ c. I Am now come to open the Gospel-righteousness wherein a poor sinner finds acceptance with God which in ver 21. of this third of the Romans is said to be now manifested that is more fully manifested by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospel being witnessed before by the Law and the Prophets Even the righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe ver 22. called the righteousness of God namely that whereby God doth only justifie and accept of a Sinner wrought forth by the obedience of Jesus Christ and made over and imputed to a poor Soul that doth embrace it by Faith whether Jew or Gentile outwardly righteous or profane All that ever come to God must come this way and stand before him in this Righteousness or perish for ever which I shall begin to open from ver 24 25. 1. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Cheist 2. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood c. We have endeavoured in the former Discourse to go along with the Apostle in proving that by all the Deeds of the Law all the best Obedience that a sinner can reach unto he cannot be justified before God neither in part nor in whole that your good deeds will not procure pardon nor poise down your sins but all by the Law equally under condemnation Of what importance then is it for poor condemned souls to be well acquainted with and really and practically invested in that way of justification that God in infinite wisdom mercy and love hath set forth in the Gospel which is that I now design The Apostles arguing is thus If all fall short of righteousness and acceptance with God by their own obedience if all have sinned and come short of the glory of God then are all and that equally condemned If so condemned then acceptance with God and justification and remission of sins must come in another way The Rise and Fountain of which must necessarily be Gods free mercy and grace If made righteous it must be in the righteousness of another wrought forth by another Justice must be satisfied by another a price paid to God for a sinners redemption by another which is Jesus Christ blessed for ever From the words then I shall first lay down this plain Observation viz. Observ Gods free mercy and grace is the first Fountain of any sinners salvation or 'T is upon the account of Gods free grace that any sinner is saved Thus runs the current of the whole Gospel the main design of the Gospel being to glorifie the riches of Gods Free-grace by Jesus Christ Among many other Scriptures the Apostle doth most convincingly discourse in Rom. 5. from the 15th to the end setting the Free-grace of God unto Justification in opposition to a sinners condemnation But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many To the same import runs the rest of the verses The free gift of many unto Justification much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ All of Grace and of Free-gift abundance of Grace from first to last That as sin reigned unto death so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord verse last So the Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians wherein the Doctrine of Grace is blessedly given forth drives all the spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ mentioned Chap. 1.3 c. to this blessed Fountain Chap. 2.4 c. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ for by Grace ye are saved so verse 7. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace and ver 8. For by grace ye are saved it is the gift of God Therefore the invitation of the Gospel to sinners runs upon this score Ho Every one that thirsteth come to the Waters of Life Isa 55.1 And Whosoever will let him come to the Water of life freely Revel 22.17 I might illustrate this in all the particulars of a sinners salvation God's fore-ordaining and choosing any to salvation 't was to the praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1 5 6. The gift of his Eternal Son Jesus Christ from free love and grace John 3.16 The New Covenant and all the Promises of it freely given out for his own Names sake Ezek. 36. Effectual Calling from free grace 2 Tim. 1.9 The gift of Faith actual Justification Tit. 3.7 Sanctification Perseverance Eternal Life and Glory all flowing from the same fountain of Free-grace Some
freely to speak after the manner of men let out grace and mercy unless such satisfaction had been given by Jesus Christ Now it can come easily delightfully chearfully from the righteous and gracious God seeing his justice will not plead against it but for it being blessedly satisfied and Jesus Christ by his death did fully merit it and deserve it at the hands of God and laid down as much as God in infinite justice would require therefore 't is now as well justice as mercy for God to remit a Sinner that comes to God by Jesus Christ 1 John 1.7 God is just to forgive us our sins Now hereupon God having ordained and accepted of such a way of attonement his justice glorified and satisfied his word that the sinner should die made good his Law to the utmost satisfied what remains but that the blessed God can remit the bondage guilt condemnation of the sinner having thus accepted of satisfaction what remains but that he should pronounce as he doth Job 33.24 Deliver him for I have found a Ransom God can now pardon the sinner that comes believingly by Jesus Christ to him for it without any regret his justice shall be glorified by it as well as his mercy God hath charg'd all upon another and accepted of full payment call'd himself to witness of it and will never repent of it Object If any should Object Wherein is free-grace glorified if God hath received full satisfaction to his justice Answ I answer 1. 'T was infinite free grace for God to give out his blessed Son Jesus Christ when there was no obligation upon him he gave him and sent him freely John 3.16 from his own free love therefore there 's infinite of free grace in Man's salvation 2. 'T was infinite grace towards the sinner to accept of satisfaction by a surety Heb. 5. and not on the sinner the party offending himself what abundant grace and love to lay the sins and guilt upon another especially the only Son of his bosom who was without all sin 2 Cor. 2.21 and not to condemn the poor helpless sinner for ever 3. 'T was infinite free grace for God himself to contrive the way of such a Redemption Had it been left to sinful man to have found out a way how justice might be satisfied he could never have done it It could never have entred into the heart of Man or Angels to have offered to God a satisfactory way for the making up of his wronged justice but he must have perished for ever 4. The Father was at Liberty to impute this Redemption of Christ to whom he would to this sinner and not to another Rom. 9. He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy c. So that 't is indeed a debt to Christ but all of free mercy and grace to any sinner that is saved Vse 1. If then Salvation and remission of sins came in this way by the death and blood of Jesus Christ then it may discover to us the infinite hatred that God bears to sin that to make expiation and attonement to his justice there could no sacrifice be found but the death of his eternal Son Jesus Christ Oh! that ever a sinner should delight in that which the holy God so much hates and abhors 2. Let it be for convincement to poor sinners of the infinite necessity of this way of Redemption by Jesus Christ in laying down his life to satisfie the justice of God and of getting their part in it you have heard the case of a Sinner condemn'd by the Law liable to eternal death subject to the rigour of divine Justice no way able or in a capacity to make satisfaction to God mercy as it were bound up by justice Oh! therefore what necessity of a Mediator of a Redeemer to work forth deliverance to lay down a Ransom for sinners dye and undergo the curse and wrath of the great and dreadful God fulfill the Law make satisfaction to the wronged justice of God to the utmost this Jesus Christ hath done for miserable sinners that will come unto him Now the most of poor souls have but a Notion of Christ's dying but know not what is meant by Christ dying for me though sometimes in their Mouths Oh! sinner for Christ to die for thee if thou gettest a part in his Death is to undergo the punishment and curse and death that thy soul was liable to which otherwise must have come upon thee to the utmost it was to be made sin and a curse for thee to bear thy Sins and stand in them Oh! that thou couldst really be convinc'd of the necessity of this Redemption that thou couldst never come to God without it and therefore to get thy poor soul stated in it 3. If satisfaction to Gods justice can only be by the blood of Jesus Christ then let me again press you that you take heed of performing your duties and repentings as if thereby you did satisfie and pacifie God for the sin of your souls This is the most dangerous snare upon poor souls that though they have sinned yet they hope God will be pacified with some praying and sorrowing and amendment Now though this shall be in a spiritual manner upon every pardoned sinner and 't is a capacity God puts the sinner into when he applies the death of his Son and so gives out mercy and pardon yet you must most carefully take heed that you offer not up such duties as if they did make God amends and pacifie him for your sins but look above and beyond them as if they were not and so to cast your eye to the great sacrifice of the blood of Jesus Christ which Alone makes attonement to God and makes way for a poor sinner to come to him 4. That as sinners would learn the blessed Mystery of this Redemption and the necessity of it and how it makes attonement merits mercy and pardon procures peace and reconciliation with God so they would come and accept of it and fall down before the righteous God and plead it to him Thou hast heard the way of God's letting out mercy to sinners and no mercy but in that way but by justice being satisfied by the death and blood of Jesus Christ whereby he becomes the Saviour of sinners now this blood is offered up to God the price is paid and accepted with God and in the Gospel of God 't is revealed and preach't to the guilty world and 't is freely offered to any poor sinner that will come and accept of it and make claim to it and plead for mercy and forgiveness upon the account of it and will come to the terms of it which is to be accepted and pardoned alone by vertue of it to be washed and sanctified and actually deliver'd not only from the guilt and condemnation of sin but the power and reign and pollution of it Oh Sinner be awakened and stirred up by the word of the Lord to get actual deliverance from the
most design to my self among the Sons of men I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy And as if this had not been enough the heart of the blessed God was so infinitely taken with it Chap. 34.5 6. The Lord comes nearer to him descended in a Cloud and stood with him there and as if meerly to have spoken what he had before said to Moses Namely That he should have mercy had not been enough at verse 6. He proclaims it and makes it as his proper Name and most glorious Title The Lord the Lord God Merciful and Gracious c. verse 7. forgiving iniquity c. As if forgiving iniquity were the great design of glory he had upon the world his heart most affected and taken up with it this is the first reason poor sinners should have their hearts most taken up about the pardon of sins because the heart of the infinite wise and blessed God is most taken up about it 2. The pardon of sin should so greatly take up the heart of a poor guilty sinner because Nothing is a Blessing to a man till his sins are pardoned but All a curse The Scripture is well known that proves it among many Deut. 28.15 16. If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his Commandments and his Statutes which I command thee this day that all those curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed shalt thou be in the field Cursed shall be thy basket and thy Store Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy Land the encrease of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out the Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand for to do c. Now that Soul that doth not hearken to the voice of God according to the tenour of the New Covenant to come unto Jesus Christ to have his sins pardoned to have the spirit given him to walk before God in all his ways is in an unpardoned condition and so liable to all these curses now under the old Testament God did more usually come forth in visible stroaks of punishment upon outward mercies But under the New Testament his judgments especially upon such as are under the Gospel are more spiritual as blessings to his people run in a more spiritual way as in cursing them with hardness and blindness of heart having resisted the truth but yet though such outward curses are not so visibly and frequently executed though sometimes they are yet unpardoned unconverted sinners enjoy not their outward good things as a blessing but they serve but to further their damnation if their hearts are not through infinite grace made soft and turn unto the Lord that they may be pardoned Now to have outward mercies and be hardened in an impenitent estate under them is a far greater curse than to have them smitten or imbittered from the Lord though with the heaviest hand This is the 2d Reason of the point Every thing is a curse while such to an unpardoned sinner therefore 't is of the greatest weight to have his heart taken up about it 3. The person of an unpardoned sinner is hated of the Lord therefore the weight of it is very great Psal 5.5 Thou hatest all workers of iniquity All be they what they will high or low rich or poor God hates them and while they are workers of iniquity they are certainly unpardoned what they may be in the decree of God is nothing to that sinner in this condition While he is a worker of iniquity he hath no ground for any other apprehension of God unless he turn in unto him now what a dreadful thing is it to be hated of that great and righteous God a drop of whose wrath is able to scortch the Soul with uspeakable torment yet such is the condition of a wretched unpardoned sinner therefore 't is his great concernment to look to it c. 4. While a sinner is unpardoned he is under the Law What that is I shall if God will further discover he stands bound over to the most exact fulfilling of it under the penalty of Hell bound to make God satisfaction to the utmost upon the least breach and being under transgression of it is under wrath and condemnation if he abide so without Remedy There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but All condemnation to those that are out of Christ Jesus as all unpardoned sinners are therefore 't is a condition above all others to be weighed and considered and not to be rested in one moment 5. Neither the Prayers nor Alms nor any other duty of an unpardoned sinner are at all accepted with the Lord. This wretched sinners will not admit of but think if they perform any duty to God he accepts of it and that indeed it makes an attonement for their sins take that one eminent place in Isa 1.15 Though you make many prayers yet I will not hear you mark it you that think because you make or say as you style it many good prayers sure God hears you No saith God I will not hear why see verse 16. they were not washed from their sins therefore the Prophet calls them to come to the Lord that they might be pardoned verse 38. 'T is true when a poor sinner hath his heart smitten for sin and comes to the Lord upon the account of promises of grace and pardon through Jesus Christ with full purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord and so begs for pardon and all things that do accompany pardon and salvation then God hears his cryes at the very first breathing of his soul Lam. 3.56 but not till then doth God regard the multitude of his Prayers Alms Worship Keeping conscience to men therefore certainly if nothing be accepted with God till in a pardoned condition such an estate requires great and deep thoughts of heart of it 6. Upon all this it will follow That an unpardoned sinner will have no other word from the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming but go ye cursed Everlasting darkness and wrath and woes and all misery must be his portion for ever If he dye in his sins Joh. 8.29 his soul must be eternally damned without all remedy Live and dye unpardoned and be damned unpardoned When Jesus Christ shall come neither he himself nor Saint nor Angel will or can speak one word for a soul that dyes unpardoned though the soul screek out for a drop of mercy it will be answered with nothing but the Ecchoes of the screekings of other desperate souls ready to be hurled with it into the same everlasting burnings no eye to pitty there though Ministers and Saints did warn invite weep mourn pity when
the heart makes it soft and so it can pour out it self to God in heart-melting confessions at least the poor soul mourns over the hardness of its heart oh that I have thus sinned and yet my heart will not break blessed be every stroak and every word of God and every Ordinance that through grace breaks my heart more A sincere soul sets a high price upon brokenness and yet rests not in it c. 5. Such confession that hath the promise is accompanied with soul abasement He that humbleth himself shall be exalted Luke 18.14 spoken upon the Publicans acceptance with God in his Confession smiting upon his breast in a deep abasement not lifting up his eyes to Heaven So that great promise 2 Chron. 7.14 If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins This is a work of the narrowest search of any other I intend if the Lord will to speak to this more distinctly and fully only now a word of Humiliation as is joyned with such confession that hath the promise of pardon which is the scope we drive at 1. When the Soul is in confession and under the Lords humblings in order to pardon The poor Creature acknowledgeth himself infinitely unworthy that ever the Lord should cast a look upon him or give out mercy and pardon to him This Conclusion is fixed upon the soul and the Soul falls down abased in the sense of it whatever the Lord do with me I will lay my mouth in the dust I am worthy of nothing from the Lord but a thousand Hells this quiets the heart in some measure whatever the pleasure of the Lord be towards him 2. As the poor sinful Creature is worthy of nothing so he will give glory to God if God never pardon God is never the less righteous or holy if he never let out one drop of mercy upon so vile a Creature Thou art holy saith David Psal 22.3 But I am a worm and no man verse 6. A worm fit for God and man to tread upon and yet must not rise up against God nor say to him what doest thou No Man I have unman'd my self with sin I am dust and vanity it self vile dust that 's my make my frame Oh I must give glory to his justice though I perish for ever 3. The poor Creature hath no good no not the least to procure pardon or to move God to pardon Psal 14.3 Saith a poor humbled soul treating for pardon if mercy and pardon must come forth upon terms of my good having or doing any thing but what hath infinitely Sin enough in it to damn me for ever assuredly to Hell I must No Sin enough to send a world of souls to Hell but not a drop of good to move the Lord to mercy If God give out mercy upon a Sight of good I expect not a drop from him 4. It follows from hence when a sinner comes humbled he comes as nothing else but a sinner Luke 18.13 God be merciful to me a sinner One that 's nothing else but a wretched Sinner for so the Publican means it as in a contrary frame to the Pharisee who thanks God that he was not so bad as many were though the Pharisee no doubt would acknowledge some Sin but now the Publican is All a sinner in as bad a condition as any Sinner in the World Poor Souls in these days they hope they have not so much need of Christ as many great sinners they be not nothing else but Sinners they have or do some good The discussion of this will be the next discourse only now a word more Know Sinner that one Sin strikes off all thy pretended good as shall at large through mercy be proved to thee Stick to one drop of good in thee or from thee when thou comest for mercy and pardon and thou losest all Oh to be wholly condemned wholly unrighteous wholly a sinner is a great work 't is the most distinguishing conviction of any other While a man hath any thing to live upon he is not fit to beg so while a soul hath a drop of any thing that in his own sense may the more admit him to pardon he cannot have it Take it thus If one come to your doors and beg and he hath good Cloaths on his Back and he should say I have good Cloaths on my back I have something of my own therefore I pray give me Would you not answer if you have something of your own and are pretty well cloathed why should you beg 't is not for you come and ask alms But if a poor naked wretch come and say and cry Oh I am a poor Creature a poor naked destitute creature I have nothing all 's gone I have lost all pray cover me pray feed me out of great pity you will look upon such a poor Wretch and do something for him if you have any bowels So if a Sinner as that Pharisee did come and say Lord I have done this and this I have not been so wicked as many I do some good therefore pardon that therefore will make the Lord send thee away without mercy No saith God live upon what thou hast if thou hast any thing Oh Sinner thou art not fit to beg to beg mercy and pardon till thou hast just nothing of thy own which the natural pride of thy heart will very hardly come off to 5. In the way of Mens Tribunals of Justice and Courts of Life and Death If a Malefactor be condemned by the Law and he yet plead Though I am proved a Thief or a Murderer yet I have kept the rest of the Law I have broken no Law of the Nation that deserves death beside shall not this rather justifie me than this crime condemn me No saith the Judge That 's nothing to us though thou hast kept the Law in other things thou must dye by the Law as a Transgressor of it for this thou hast done Why then saith the condemned person I must plead all mercy Just so it is at the Tribunal of God comes a poor Soul that is convinced he hath sinn'd Oh but saith he in his heart I have kept the Law in many or most things will not that commend me to God Will not God look upon my good more than my evil No saith God in his word thou hast broken the Law and thou art cursed therefore the Law can shew thee no mercy I can take no notice of any of thy pretended keeping of it in any other thing Oh then must a poor Sinner say then it must be all all of mercy if I am ever pardoned this may be enough to discover such a humiliation that follows confession that hath the promise of pardon 6. One thing more which I shall but mention such a confession of sin as hath the promise of mercy is accompanied with a firm resolution
burthens put his hand under thy soul And if thou wouldst know who it is 't is that blessed Jesus who loves to save such a sinner as he loves his life therefore away to him But the heart of a guilty sinner will now urge Well if it be so that some guilt is upon me yet I have done many things well or as well I could will not that take off my guilt and will not God impute the good to me and pass by the evil Or will not God acept of the will for the deed Or if I set my self for the time to come to keep the law as well as I can will not that make God amends Alas poor soul these refuges will undo thee if thou get not out of them No No Thy good shall not be imputed nor thy will accepted nor thy obedience for time to come satisfie I mean still as thou art under the law As well as thou canst will not be heard here If thou indeed gets justified in Christ and rooted in him and so from a new principle of life in thy soul thou bring forth new and holy obedience then thy will is accepted and thy new obedience but not upon this account as to justifie thee before God or as to expiate and take off guilt from the soul This therefore is the next thing I am to prove to thy Conscience if God will Namely Observ 4. No man or woman under Heaven can ever arrive at such a keeping of the law as to be accepted with God for and by such a keeping of it I would press this as plainly as I may for till this conviction be thoroughly and practically received into the Conscience a soul cannot make a saving close with Jesus Christ What I mean by these deeds of the Law is I presume understood I mean The professed owning the true God and frequenting his ordained worship and ordinances observing the Sabbath making good prayers doing some good as to helping thy Neighbour and giving of Alms making conscience of wronging or defrauding any man and refraining many gross sins I mention these things because most men that go thus far as your more civil sort of people think that it is impossible but God must accept them in and for all this that 't is for great sinners to be damned they thank God they are not so by the way soul I shall not doubt to prove that there 's more hope of the vilest drunkard in the Country than of such a one and that this thy good keeping of the law and that as well as thou canst will stand thee in no stead at all and God looks upon thee no more for it than if thou wert the greatest sinner in the world How sayest thou soul to this 1. From clear Scriptures I shall demonstrate it and Scriptural reasons and examples of such kind of persons rejected of God and so labour to drive this nail home upon thy conscience What need we go further than the words of my Text By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight The Apostle speaks of such who professed to own and make conscience of keeping the law as well as they could such as were within as you call it the pale of the Church and frequented the worship of God and were sober people See Act. 13.39 From which meaning their sins they could not be justified by the Law of Moses They could not an utter impossibility of it though they kept the law of God as well as they were able and hoped for pardon thereby yet saith Paul which exceedingly troubled them they could not be justified thereby Rom. 9.31 But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness Though they followed after it and laboured to keep the Law of God to their utmost yet they fail'd of their purpose Gal. 3.10 11. c For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse that is such as insist upon works of the Law they are so far from being the more accepted for all the good they did and all the evil they refrained that they were under the curse as well as any sinners in the world besides Briefly Paul who well knew the experience of this it having been his own case as I shall shew spends two Epistles of the Romans and Galathians to convince chiefly what I am now upon therefore peruse them over and over Now the Reasons of it are these namely why any sinners keeping of the Law to his best power can not justifie him or make him the better or at all accepted with God for it This doctrine goes to the quick and I know naturally you do not love it and 't is irksom and disquieting the Lord make it disquieting and unsettling to purpose Reason 1. The best keeping of the Law cannot make a soul more accepted with God while under the Law and not in Christ because of the holiness of Gods Justice which being violated by sin it being also proved that all do sin cannot again be made up by any act of the Creature the severity of his justice cannot admit of it therefore if the Law be transgressed the sinner must dye as he is under the law and stands to the law or God is not righteous which to assert is execrable blasphemy And if your thoughts should prevent me with a general notion of mercy know and consider it well that the law shews no mercy but calls for justice and justice it shall have upon every transgressor whosoever if he stand to his endeavour to keep the Law The soul that sinneth it shall dye From whence by the law I say by the law there 's no appeal What you may do when you renounce the Law for righteousnes and fly wholly to a mercy-seat is another case This is the first reason 2. The best keeping of the Law will not accepted because of the exactness of the Law it requires full entire perfect fulfilling and obedience or all stands for nothing If this were throughly weighed and laid to heart we should come to an issue in the point Mark that Word Gal. 3.12 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the law to do them I think I opened this place lately but mark it well the Law requires of every one and therefore of thee whoever thou art a continuance without intermission of doing not only purposing and endeavouring All things not keeping nine and breaking one Commandment not keeping it outwardly and breaking it in thy thoughts of sin but in All things or Cursed without remedy by the law the Law can give you no remedy see Rom. 10.5 For Moses describeth the righteousness of the law The man that doth these things shall live by them If he doth all things of the Law not purposeth them only but doth them he shall live by them but not otherwise but shall dye and that for ever by
very well of himself and was in much peace and persecuted all beyond his formal Profession now cryes out away with this figleaf-righteousness of mine own 't is as dung I tread it under my feet for Jesus Christ he that thought himself so blameless before now cryes out I am the Chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 And I am carnal sold under sin Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death A marvellous Change indeed and such that is made upon every Soul that is really brought off from the righteousness of the Law to that which is of Jesus Christ Now to bring what hath been spoken to this point to a more particular Application Vse 1. If it be so that the best endeavour of any mortal creature to keep the Law of God as well as they can will not give them acceptance with God then you that have so imagined and thereby spoken peace to your selves namely that you hope if you keep the Church as you use to speak and harm no body and do any body any good you can live not in gross sins be well thought of by your neighbours you shall do well enough for Heaven and you must hope well Ah poor creature thou errest not knowing the way of the Lord nor of thy own heart how art thou befooling thy self and deceiving thy own soul No sinner in so ready a way to Hell as thou if thou continue thus and let not go thy hold and get a new bottom for thy naked Soul which I am to shew thee Consider man or woman young or old whoever thou art thou hast been proved guilty of the breach of the whole Law of God thou hast been shewed of the exactness of the Justice of God and the spirituality of the Law how it reacheth the inmost motions of the heart thou hast been shewed the Tenour of it as it was given forth as a Covenant that the Law will not admit of the least breach though but in thought but it condemns as if the whole Law were transgressed even every soul that is under it here is the rigor of it and thou hast been shewed that the Law admits not of endeavours nor of the Will for the Deed if thou wert once in Christ indeed it would be so but not as now thou art thou hast been shew'd that there 's sin enough in every one of thy best performances to damn thee for ever that thy Righteousness reacheth but the outward Man within didst thou see it thou art full of iniquity that whatever thou hast done cannot make God the least satisfaction as thou flatterest thy self for the least sin All thy obedience and duties cannot give life to thy soul but still leave thee as a dead tree dead in thy sin that by this vain confidence thou dost utterly make void the death of Jesus Christ as to any vertue or effect to thy own Soul here is thy very case plainly set forth a thousand thousand sins to damn thee and that righteousness obedience good thou hopest thou hast done towards God and Man not in the least able to rescue thee cover thee deliver thee from the guilt of one of the least of these sins nor save thee from wrath to come but leave thy soul as sinful guilty naked wretched condemned as if thou hadst been nothing else but sinning all thy days Oh wretched condition that the Devil and thy own heart have flattered thee in Oh let this serve to convince unbottom legal Professors who have spoken peace to themselves in being as good as they can and obeying the Law as well as they can and so hope God pardons where they fail Oh you are ignorant of the righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 Either what righteousness God requires in the Law as to be justified by it or what is the Righteousness of the Gospel which is of Jesus Christ by Faith Oh you who like that young man have been righteous from your youth up brought up religiously look to this whether you make not this your confidence but though under some kind of sorrowings for sin and walking exactly yet never emptied of your selves and renouncing your selves and all that was of you and come poor and nothing to Jesus Christ to be found in him who have not trembled as much at being found in your own righteousness which is of the Law as at living in the greatest sin whatsoever You who have taken up from grosser sins of your life your youth and now think you are safe and bottom your hope upon your new outward obedience but have not the experience of your closing with Jesus Christ for righteousness in which alone you could stand before God nor rooted into Jesus Christ in the carrying on of your new obedience which I am also further to open Alas poor soul thou art yet to seek for a bottom for thy peace and for Heaven as much as the greatest sinner in the world and if you go no further you will certainly perish for ever I beseech you Souls Admit of this Conviction into your Consciences saith the first Covenant of the law A whole law kept or nothing saith the Gospel-Covenant which you are now to look after A whole Christ closed with or nothing Mind it most seriously you that stand upon your terms and will not endure any thing that may shake you and disturb your peace there 's more danger of your righteousness than your sin your sin it may be you would leave because it may damn you if continued in but your righteousness your confidence in it you would not leave because you hope that shall save you and pacifie God for you and this will be your ruine if you stick here But first to strike of some Objections that the heart of such a legal professor doth put forth Object 1. But you will object Why do I speak thus would I beat people off a good coversation Is not a blameless conversation and honest walking a good sign and ground for ones hope for Heaven Answ I answer not such a Conversation as you mean the formal Jews which Christ preacht to were outwardly righteous and yet 't was not a safe ground of Hope unto them as you have been shew'd a good conversation that witnesseth a hope for Heaven must be first of a soul that doth utterly renounce it as to commend him to God that when he looks up to God for his acceptance his justification he looks upon himself as nothing else but a sinner in that respect which poor soul thou doest not 2. A good conversation that witnesseth a hope of Heaven is also a holy conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 To be inwardly holy as well as outwardly righteous Now thy care lyeth mostly about thy outward blamelesness and not thy inward holiness therefore thy conversation which thou callest good is not a ground of hope to thee 3. Or if thou dost pretend to a little outward holiness and thinkest thou hast a good heart
yet thou doest not walk in Christ because thou hast not as a poor self-emptied sinner received him Col. 2.6 Now thou must first be rooted in Christ verse 7. before thou canst walk in Christ that is fetch all thy life and power for any spiritual duty or thy walking before God from Jesus Christ by vertue of union with him John 15.5 the experience of which thou art ignorant of 4. 'T is to walk in the spirit Gal. 5.16 And thou hast not the spirit of God dwelling in thee quickening renewing mortifying c. which every gracious pardoned soul hath In a word a good conversation is a Gospel-conversation grounded upon Gospel-principles and for Gospel-ends now thou goest no further but lookest upon the law as to be obeyed as well as thou canst and in thy own endeavours and thy own strength from some conviction of the law thou set'st about it and so hopest God and Christ will save thee Is it not so with thee Object 2. But would you then have me do nothing leave off to do well If you say my good keeping of the law as well as I can doth neither justifie me before God nor is so much as an evidence of God's accepting me to what purpose then is it how ought I then do it or may I not leave it off Answ I answer Truly soul I must needs deal plainly with thee 't is to no purpose as yet if this be thy condition that thou hast done any thing as to the saving of thy own soul and yet thou must not leave off as if thou mightest live as thou list No Thou must begin anew as thou wilt be further more at large directed first see all thy former doings either towards God or Man to be loss because thou hast done them by meer natural or legal principles and wrong ends and so it stands for nothing and then fall down before Jesus Christ Oh 't is thy righteousness now Lord I come for 't is thy spirit I must have to quicken and strengthen me in the way of my obedience and so pray and hear upon other grounds to be taught of God to receive the Spirit to have communion with God but not thereby in the least to be accepted But this I shall open further when I shew why and how a Soul must obey God though he be not thereby justified So this Objection is removed Object 3. But you will say I hope I do not rest upon my own doings no more than others I think no body doth so will you shew me whether the heart is apt to do so Answ I will and shall discover to you that the heart of man is most naturally apt to rest upon an outward keeping of the law and to build a hope and confidence for Heaven upon it this I must a little insist on as much conducing to help on the conviction I am pressing if the Lord by his power strike in with it If it were not natural nothing more for a soul to bottom upon its keeping the Law though fallen and unable to it the Apostle would never have spent time in the Conviction of it which he so industriously doth in this and the former Chap. It hath been the great evil upon the hearts of the Sons of Men in all ages of the Church One of the first Sons of Adam was under it Cain when he rested upon the bare sacrifice 'T is that the Prophets of God are reproving convincing the Church of the Jews of more than of any one thing whatsoever See Isa 1. throughout Isa 66. Jer. 7. Ezek. 33.31 The Prophecy of Hosea in the main bent of it is to convince the formality of the Jews and their false confidence in resting in their heartless doings and performances In this case Jesus Christ finds the Jewish Church in at his first coming in resting in some heartless performances in God's worship and outward righteousness towards men which he sharply rebuketh and convinceth them of the vanity of it Mat. 5.6 7 9 13 15 18 21 23 25. Chapters of Matthew with which you may compare the other Evangelists and see how much ado the Lord Jesus had to beat them off from this confidence and how few of them were beaten off it And Paul witnesseth that upon this very ground they were rejected of Jesus Christ Rom. 9.32 Not upon the account of gross outward sin but for their being conceited of their good condition for Heaven because of their frequenting publick worship and being blameless in the sight of men yea from this natural principle joyned with the delusion of the Tempter did the Church of God degenerate into the Synagogue of Satan as Antichrist rose in the world first trusting in the performance of their worship and works which brought in penances and such kind of Sacriledge against Jesus Christ and all other Trumperies to build fallen men upon his own bottom and to devise a way of satisfaction to God wherein they failed to which the hearts of Men are most naturally carried which made that Doctrine so easily and generally over-run the world Against which accursed Doctrine that famous Witness of Jesus Christ Luther began his main battery and though the Doctrine of Justification by Jesus Christ be known to the Protestant World yet practically to be brought over to it by an Union with Jesus Christ is but we may fear thinly known or understood yea not only by the common spirits of England that rest in a Notion of being Protestants but even amongst many who have profest something beyond it as I before have hinted yea the Lord Jesus Christ professeth to expect to find multitudes of Professors at his coming under this soul-damning snare of being found in themselves and in their own righteousness and not in Jesus Christ Mat. 7. 25 c. By all which it may amply appear how easie how natural a thing it is for the hearts of the Children of Men to bottom their confidence in what they do towards God and Man in their obedience of the Law as to place their acceptance in it Add to this the reasons of it why the hearts of all the sons and daughters of Adam are naturally apt to rest upon the law and their own doings and to hope for peace by it 1. Every natural man hath something of the remains of the Law which God at first wrote in the heart of our common Father Adam Rom. 2.14 15. which being a little drawn forth by the Letter of the Law it makes a poor creature set himself to endeavour to keep the law and hopes to attain to such a degree as to be accepted with God for it Now there is no such thing in the heart to come to Christ or to have righteousness in another therefore a soul sets himself to the Law and endeavours more or less the keeping of it naturally 2. Man would fain make up the breach he hath made with God upon his own account As a Man had naturally
acknowledge utter Condemnation nothing but sin upon him and so stoop to free mercy 5. The sinner stands off from Free-grace because he will make his own terms He will condition for his carnal case his self-interest his bosom lust the love of the World and hopes God will allow him his terms which he proposeth to himself and herein he is ruined Now God hath drawn up the tenour of his free-grace in the way of a Covenant and though there are no conditions left to the creature to make good on his part by his own power for that will easily imply a self-sufficiency in him and is absolutely derogatory from the grace of God in the Gospel-Covenant yet God hath drawn up as I may so speak what other good things he will bestow on the subjects of his free-grace Namely The Law to be new written in their hearts the gift of the Spirit Newness of heart with the making good of all those promises in a degree that hold forth Holiness and new Obedience which must accompany the free pardon of sins and make indeed the free grace of God more glorious Inasmuch as when he pardons them he will save them from the service of sin work his Image upon them bring them to a blessed conformity to himself which consider'd aright sweetens and heightens the free-grace of God and makes the terms of it more blessed In a word Mercy and Holiness must go together a Saviour and Sanctifier which a sinner from the cursed love of ease and satisfaction to his lust sticks at and so comes not up to Gods terms which are blessed and holy and so misseth of grace and mercy for ever because he chooseth Sin rather than Holiness 6. Yea a sinner and I speak all this while of such as pretend to an interest in free mercy misseth of this grace because he takes up the terms of God in his Covenant-grace in his own strength will repent and come up to new obedience before he comes to the promise to the free grace of God for it which is also a dangerous snare A Sinners first work being convinced as we have opened is to throw himself upon the free grace of God for all to give all to work all and to follow God by vertue of Promises of such good and Grace as the tenour of the Covenant holds forth 'T is an usual thing for poor Souls first to think to convert themselves make themselves holy and then come to God and Jesus Christ this is an indirect course Oh! a poor Soul must begin at the Foundation of Gods free Grace for Christ for Pardon for the Spirit for Conversion for Holiness for all as held out in Promises and then the work will be sure and prosper and nought shall hinder it 7. Sinners fail of this free Grace of God from a neglect and a sleighting of it Heb. 2.3 How shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation Sinners do hear that though they are sinners and condemned in a damnable estate yet Jesus Christ will save them if they will come unto him sit them for Heaven and do it himself for them and in them yet through a desperate folly security and careless temper the heart being in a dead sleep they wretchedly neglect it 8. From the power of Unbelief which they are under and see it not Thus have I shewed those special hindrances that cause poor Souls that hear of Gospel-grace to withstand it and for ever to miss of it Oh that this word of the Lord might find you out and might be as a glass to shew you your own hearts you who by a wilful obstinacy have withstood the Gospel-calls hitherto Oh now fall down before the Lord and cry I yield I yield thou blessed God thy Patience thy freest Grace hath overcome me Lord take away a rebellious obstinate heart from me Ah Lord Thou hast waited to be gracious and Christ and Mercy and Heaven have been offered to so vile a Wretch freely Now Lord I throw my self at thy feet a thousand Hells are too good for me But if grace infinite grace be free there 's yet hope for me If there be not grace enough in Heaven for me let me go to the depth of Hell But Lord I take hold of thee I desire to do it Oh do thou take hold of me and I shall not perish You who have stood upon your terms and hoped you had righteousness enough to cover you and God would look upon that and not upon your sin you are the most abominable in God's sight You who secretly in your hearts think your sorrowing and reforming makes God amends You who have wrapt your selves in these Cobwebs and through pride of heart will not lay them down Oh if thou wilt have mercy thou must have all in a way of mercy and grace all freely or nothing at all see all thy righteousness made void by one sin against the Law and therefore cursed and condemned by it therefore thou hast no Plea but free mercy and grace Oh lay down all thy other Pleas they will never be heard in Heaven and now cry out Oh 't is of grace Proud selfish Wretch that I have been 't is all of free grace if ever I am saved If God cannot pardon freely bestow Jesus Christ freely I am undone for ever Oh the wicked castings of my heart this way and that way Oh there 's nothing nothing but infinite misery to move mercy All my goodness is an accursed thing as from my self There 's an infinite Fountain of sin and self-righteousness in men Oh could I come to an infinite Fountain of grace Thus thou wilt come to God when he shall smite thy heart which now look up unto him to do You who have been making your own terms of ease and lusts and world Oh render up your hearts to the gracious blessed holy terms that God proposeth Why shouldst thou not be willing to be made holy Why should not the Lord rather rule thee than sin and the Devil What more beautiful and glorious than the Image of God Oh accept of Holiness with Mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ Come unto him for both be willing to be set apart for God a Vessel purged and sanctified for his use and thou shalt behold the face of God shining upon thee and whatever is laid up in Christ in Promises in Heaven and Glory shall be thine You who have thought to make your selves holy and then come to Christ to be justified be convinced of your great Error and now come as sinners to Jesus Christ to be justified and sanctified in him and see all grace laid up in Jesus Christ for such as come unto him Say Oh blessed Lord Jesus I cannot fit my self for thee If thou canst not accept me as a poor undone helpless sinner coming unto thee I never expect a blessing from thee And you who have sleighted this free rich and glorious grace see what you have done and be abased
the presence of God's Majesty but by Jesus Christ who is appointed Mediator to bring a poor sinner to himself to make way for him into the presence of God to conveigh Mercy and Grace to a poor sinner Oh say that I could acquaint my self with Jesus Christ take hold of his skirts and he will bring me into the favour love covenant vision union of God this is the way for a sinner to come unto him John 14.6 5. Let it call upon Saints that know Jesus Christ in the Spirit that they do not grow strangers to him that they neglect not Jesus Christ Oh! Neglect him not in his blessed Mediation Grace Love Fellowship Appearance Ordinances 'T is a grievous thing and very apt are Saints to it to neglect Jesus Christ Oh! still know and consider that as your access to God was by him at first so it is still His Mediation for you his love and grace and fellowship is as good as ever as precious as it ever was therefore have high and precious thoughts of him of your blessed access to God by Jesus Christ The next thing that I come to open is how Jesus Christ wrought forth Salvation and Justification for a Sinner so that the free grace of God might by him be freely let out upon a sinner namely the work of his Redemption through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ verse 24. I shall not insist upon the many difficulties that the wisdom of the flesh hath started about the word or work of our Redemption but endeavour as I have promised to give it out in a plain Scriptural practical manner for the use of poor sinners Redemption signifies a deliverance from Captivity by a price or ransom laid down Man had sinn'd himself into captivity and a just condemnation God from his own free Mercy was willing he should be set at Liberty but this should not be done but by a price or ransom being paid to God which was the intervening death of Jesus Christ who being the eternal Son of God came down from Heaven took upon him the nature of man was willing to stand in the room of sinners bearing their sins in the undergoing the punishment for them whereby God laid upon Jesus Christ the Iniquities of all that shall be saved Isa 53.6 proceeded against him as if he had been the sinner in a way of Justice executed his wrath upon him Thus he is said to dye for the sins of his own 2 Cor. 5.15 Heb. 9.15 and to give himself for us and to give his life a ransom for many which death of Jesus Christ is styled an expiatory Sacrifice an attonement and Propitiation all which do imply that by the death of Jesus Christ satisfaction was made to the infinite Justice of God as if the sinners that are saved by it had suffered the utmost of Divine Justice in their own persons Thus much may serve briefly to open the nature of Christ's Redemption The Doctrine I shall lay down from the words will be this Doct. To the Salvation and Justification of a sinner in order to God's letting out his free grace upon him there was required the death of Jesus Christ as a price laid down to the justice of God for his Redemption I might urge many more Texts besides what have been named As 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Redeemed not with silver and gold c. but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of our sins This was it which was typified by all the Sacrifices in the Old-Testament-Dispensation as in the Epistle to the Hebrews at large especially in the 9th Chapter vers 12 13 14 22. And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission From hence the Reasons of Divine Wisdom thus proceeding so far as revealed in the Word will be clear Reason 1. That the Justice of God might be glorified in the Salvation of sinners as well as Mercy Now there being attonement made to Justice by the death of Jesus Christ the Righteousness of God hath a share in the glory of mans Salvation with the Grace and Mercy of God 2. The Purity and Holiness of God's justice did require it which being violated by the sin of Man it was most equal that satisfaction be made which no meer creature was able to do and therefore the eternal Son of God blessed for ever was appointed of the Father to it Therefore 't is said verse 25. of this third of the Romans That he might be just and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus given as a reason of God's setting forth his Son to be a propitiation 3. The express word of the Lord did require it who pronounced to all mankind in Adam that the transgressor should surely die Gen. 2.17 Therefore upon his transgression the sinner must either die in his own person or another in his stead which God in his infinite wisdom might order as he pleas'd Now God being willing to glorifie his mercy chose to lay this punishment on his own Son Jesus Christ and not on the condemned Sinner which Jesus Christ also voluntarily undertaking the word of the Lord was fully made good and Jesus Christ dying for the sinner being made a curse for him 't was all one as if the sinner himself had died 4. God gave out a holy and righteous Law written in the heart of Adam which Law was just and holy and good Rom. 7. Now this Law being broken God would not dispence with it in shewing mercy to the sinner unless his Law was satisfied which Jesus Christ undertook Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfill'd in us c. Gal. 4.4 But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the Law c. So that the Law was fulfilled by Jesus Christ as if the sinner had kept it fully in his own person by Christ's becoming obedient to the death of the Cross and so suffering the punishment of the Law still in the stead and name of the sinner and by his keeping the Law in the pure original righteousness of his nature 2 Cor. 5.21 and Heb. 7.26 27. and by his actual obedience to it in the perfect observing of it Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many were made righteous Namely by the obedience of Jesus Christ which he gave unto the Law Now all sinners being condemned by the Law the Law could not remit them till it was satisfied it call'd for punishment and full obedience which Jesus Christ gave unto it 5. God could not so
that sleepest Ephes 5. The voice of the Spirit doth awake that Conscience that before was asleep in sinful security 4. A good Conscience is convinced that all the keepings of the Law and keeping a Conscience to men cannot justifie the soul before God cannot commend it to God which a Second Table-Conscience imagines it will and so in peace Paul kept a Conscience as to many things Acts 23.1 I have lived in all good Conscience before God unto this day meaning I conceive from his youth up when he was a Pharisee but when his Conscience was convinced and awakened and came to see Jesus Christ he saw that all his keeping a Conscience as to many sins and Duties could not in the least commend him to God A good Conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 So that this is the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ upon the Conscience of a Believer it pacifies it in the sense of the forgiveness of sins towards God so as it can draw near to God and it purgeth it from dead works sin and pollution to serve God acceptably This is a good Conscience indeed 6. A good Conscience respects all the Precepts of God as well of Holiness to God as Goodness to Men which the Conscience we have been speaking of doth not Such a one makes not conscience of this great and absolute Precept Be ye holy 1 Pet. 1. It makes not conscience of purging the heart of secret mourning to God of the purity of God's Worship It makes no Conscience of lesser sins as we have shewed not of all sin as Herod heard the Word gladly but made no conscience of persecuting John to death when he stood in the way of his Lusts Now I say a good Conscience respects Precepts of Holiness secret as well as publick Duties inward as well as outward Sins lesser sins as well as greater 7. A Scripture good Conscience is much taken up about godly sincerity So Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that with simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but with the grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world c. Thus a soul that walks with a good Conscience towards God labours to approve it self in all things with a godly sincerity to do all as unto God Lastly a good Conscience labours to keep it self pure and undefiled it is accompanied with a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned A Soul that would keep the Conscience good would keep it pure and the whole inward man pure as a Temple unto God Vse Now see how many ingredients go to make up a good Conscience in a Scripttre-sense and what a great mistake is in this weighty matter and how far abundance of people that make conscience of their dealings with men conclude thence they have a Scripture-good-Conscience to God when they are not savingly enlightned their Conscience never search'd by the power of the Word and throughly awakened out of a natural condition never humbled for resting in themselves and their Duties not having their Conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ and purged thereby not having a tender respect to all the Precepts of God not to walk before him in godly sincerity nor with a pure heart You then that are short of these things you are wholly to seek in that which you so much pretend to and speak peace to your selves in the having or keeping a good Conscience you have as yet no part in this matter 2. What hath been spoken of a good Cnnscience may be for instruction and direction to the Called Ones of Christ how to preserve the Conscience good and peaceable and so to live and dye in the peace and comfort of it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Get it sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ every day and under the searching of the Word and awake unto God and pure and undefiled respecting all the Holy Precepts of God as binding to your conscience so will the conscience be tender and peaceable and God will witness in your conences your acceptance with him in his Son Jesus Christ I would give out further some Notes of Tryal Whether you rest in false common grace or not as to what we have already spoken in so weighty a matter 1. By your never suspecting the truth of your grace but taking all upon trust never doubting but you have Faith and do repent and so of all the rest that soul that never suspected his grace may well fear that his pretended grace is no more than what a Hypocrite may reach unto The poor called children of God are exceedingly jealous their Faith is not sound that they are short in every grace because of the woful mixtures that they find more Unbelief than Faith more hardness of heart than softness more Pride than Humiliation and so of all Now that soul that goes away with an unsuspected confidence of every Grace sure flatters himself and his way will be found to be deceitful 2. That Soul that draws back his conscience from the searching power of the Word when it gives out ways of trial of Sincerity and truth of grace and puts it off as if not concerned in it this may well be speak a false heart A gracious heart would bring the Work over and over to the Touch-stone of the Word delivers up it self unto it yea is much with God to search him in point of a firm Work upon his Spirit as to any prevailing Iniquity in his heart as David Psal 139. When he was before the Lord appealing to him and opening his heart to him speaks thus ver 1. Oh Lord thou hast searched me c. thou hast And yet ver 23.24 begs of God yet further to search him Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me into the way everlasting 3. False Grace is discovered by its easie acting When you can easily believe easily repent easily be humble and so of all others Certainly 't is all naught There is great contradiction within and from the Tempter as to act Grace begun in a soul yea a daily supply from Jesus Christ must be to act any Grace livelily which the common pretending easie Believers are not sensible of It cannot be but every act of Grace must find more or less resistance from flesh and blood which is so vigorously opposite to the nature and acting of real grace in the Soul 4. Such as are
which defile a man Which defilements unfits the soul for communion with God they make a filthy puddle in the Soul and what a case is a poor Creature in to come to God in Duty in such a pickle 5. Evil Thoughts do pervert the Heart from God which should be fixed upon him they draw away the strength of the heart from God they suck up the juice and marrow of the heart which should be spent in spiritual things in Jesus Christ 6. Such Thoughts do grieve the Spirit Nothing more the Spirit cannot delight to teach and comfort when the heart is mostly acted by foolish and unholy Thoughts 7. When such Thoughts are acted in the Soul God may leave you to the power of them to break out to some grievous fall and so may ship-wrack your peace and comforts for a great while and go with broken bones and it may cost you much bitterness before you are healed 8. If vain carnal Thoughts are not resisted at first but given way to they are hardly check't and subdued and turned upon other Objects and therefore to watch the first Risings of them Now not one of these Considerations but may make a Child of God to tremble how he lets forth his heart into vain carnal idle defiling thoughts and musings which do so much wast a gracious Spirit and lay him open to such woful dangers as these are To help a Child of God in this spiritual Work of looking to and a holy ordering the Thoughts of his Heart 1. Be deeply humbled to God with abhorring and loathing for Atheistical unclean proud vain foolish worldly thoughts that croud in upon you when you make them your Burden you will be the sooner eased 2. Delight thy self much in the Word of God not only in Publick Hearing but Daily Reading and not only Reading but getting some good word upon thy heart that may season thy thoughts and affections Saith David I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Psal 119.113 The love of the Word of God made him be so far from cherishing vain Thoughts that he did hate them It doth appear this was a special part of David's exercise of Spirit to get some blessed Word upon his heart and he thinking of it and so it did turn into the sweet and wholesom nourishment of the New-creature Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Blessed and holy practice worthy a gracious Saint indeed you have one word especially that David had much on his heart out of the Books of Moses for we know not whether any other Scripture were then exant 't is that of Exod. 34.6 where the Lord saith he will proclaim his Name and Glory The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth which you have in Psalm 103.8 Psal 86.15 and 145.8 Happily one of those sweet words which he often magnifies How hath a single word dwelt upon the heart of a Child of God and hath kept the heart savoury for Christ 3. The next Remedy against such Thoughts is Much Prayer diligence fervency pouring out the heart to God till the heart melts and runs forth sweetly spiritually and is engaged with God and hath a sight of him and a divine impression of God's Majesty left upon the soul 4. Get more and more brokenness of heart for sin when the Heart hath been broken 't will not so easily get into Vanity again At least a Child of God should take care that it should not when the heart is broken and mourning the Spirit doth wonderfully in that work refine the heart All the sleightness vanity defilement distraction that comes upon the New-Creature is mostly for want of this 5. Mortification of that Corruption that is most apt to stir doth much cure our thoughts Inordinate Affections are the Saints greatest Evils and do bespeak an unmortified heart as to what a Child of God should still be pressing after even to be dead and crucified with Christ Those that are Christs have crucified their Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.22 6. Contending for a Spiritual Heart So far as the Heart is spiritual it acts spiritually 'T is the carnality of Heart that works up all those frothy distempers that defile us Paul's corruption was much let out upon him when he cries out of the carnality of his Heart Rom. 7. which should be the daily complaint of God's poor Children 7. A great help to the preserving the Thoughts of the Heart according to the New-Creature will be to consider How precious the thoughts of God are to his people Psal 139.17 How precious also are thy thoughts O God unto me How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sands c. David in v. 2. was considering how God's Eye was upon his Thoughts and 't was a means to rectifie them and then David's Thoughts run forth in the sweet and blessed apprehension of the preciousness of Gods thoughts in him from all Eternity and in the ways of his Covenant towards him If Gods thoughts to us be holy and precious and ever towards us the thoughts of his Servants should be so also and as little common and unsavoury as may be More particularly let us yet consider what blessed and excellent and glorious things such as are New-Creatures in Christ have to exercise their thoughts about 1. Gracious Souls have the Attributes of God to exercise the thoughts of their Hearts in the Infiniteness of God his Greatness Holiness Glory c. A blessed Exercise for Saints indeed So we find the Scripture-Saints sweetly taken up with contemplation and admiration of the Excellencies of God himself Thou art glorious in Holiness Exod. 15.11 saith Moses But Thou art holy saith David Psal 22. Oh how great is thy Goodness Psalm 8.31 as might be abundantly shewed and the exercise of the thoughts this way hath a powerful influence upon the Heart as to its abasement purity sincerity 2. Saints have the riches and freeness of the grace of God in Jesus Christ towards poor sinners to be taken up withal Oh the free rich distinguishing Grace of God to a poor Creature that was posting to Hell that was a Rebellious Wretch a vile Hypocrite the worst of sinners the most unlikely to be converted of any sinner in the world We have David and Paul's hearts swallowed up in this above any other as David in many Psalms is in the admiration of grace and Paul in most of his Epistles makes it his great scope as the great Argument to be not only believing but humble and holy and heavenly all their days especially Col. 1. and Ephes 1st 2d and 3d. Chapters 3. Saints have the unsearchable Riches of Jesus Christ to take up their thoughts with the Excellencies and Dignities of his Person the Beauty and Glory that is in him the depths of his love the matchless price of his blood his bowels to sinners his care of his Churches Oh