a slave to men well but come unto him and he will exalt thee even to his own throne Rev. 3.21 8. Motive To excite poor Creatures to come unto Christ who invites them is this consider what you shall have if you come unto him but hear I may say with the Apostle in another case Who is sufficient for these things I want understanding to conceive it 1 Cor. 2.9 and words to express it For as the Apostle saith Eye hath not seen Ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him I may as well think to number the days of eternity as Imagin to declare all the Immunities Priviledges and Benefits those will Partake of who come unto the Lord Jesus Christ they shall know more fully when they come to glory but I will lay some of them before thee 1. If thou comest unto Christ thou shalt have Pardon for thy Sins Act. 13.38 39. Through this man is Preached the Forgiveness of Sin That is through the man Christ Jesus vers 39. And by him all that believe are justified from all things O Sinner here is pardon and justification if thou wilt but come to and believe in him and how desirable is a pardon to a condemned Malefactor thou art undon for ever if thou art not pardoned now it is alone by Christ Exod. 34.6 and upon his account that thou caust expect to obtain it the Lord is a sin-pardoning God but there is no man can come to the Father for this Pardon but in and through Christ Jo. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous 2ly Thou shalt have peace for thy Conscience not such peace as the World gives but the peace of God God is called The God of Peace 2 Cor. 13.11 Because he gives peace to his People thou shalt be at peace with God at peace with thine own Conscience and what would a wounded Conscience give for this peace but it is too pretious to purchase for Silver or Gold My peace saith Christ I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you Jo. 14.27 The World can afford no such fruit for it is brought forth by the Spirit in the heart of the believer Gal. 6.22 This peace is permanent Isa 26.3 I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayd upon me now Worldly peace is deceitful it is uncertain but this is true and abiding because rt is from God at peace with God upon the account of the Lord Jesus But I intend not to be large in these particulars only my great desire is Sinner that I might induce thee to come unto Christ 3. Thou shalt have Grace in abundance and what can be more desireable or what dost thou need more on this side Eternity it will beautify and make thee lovely in the sight of God Virtus clara aeternaque habetur Salust Angels and Saints Thy Soul is deformed by Sin but this will make thee comly Grace will inrich thee with a Divine treasure as Christ said to the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2.9 Virtus intaminatis fulget honoribus Hor. Thou art Rich Rich in Grace although poor in worldly Treasure as Jam. 2.5 Poor in the world yet rich in faith now these riches come from the fulness of Christ Joh. 1.16 Out of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isocrates It will establish the Soul in shaking times Heb. 13.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is an excellent and good thing to have the heart established with Grace I should burthen you and prevent my self if I should here treat of the Excellencies of the graces as faith love hope patience and all the other graces which are the golden Chains and Pearls which adorn the Soul of a Believer only consider this that all grace is from God through Christ by the Spirit conveyed and wrought in the Soul 4. If thou comest to Christ thou shalt have life so saith Christ I am come that you may have life and have it more abundantly Life naturally is much desirable but how much more life spiritual and life eternal Thou art spiritually dead Eph. 2.5 and it is from him thou must receive quickning Joh. 11.25 Jesus saith unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live Vers 26. And he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die Here Soul is spiritual and eternal life for thee and wilt thou not come unto Christ for this what dost thou not reguard life life everlasting Mat. 25.46 the righteous shall go into life everlasting O let the consideration of this excite and stir up thy Soul to come unto Christ for all those that come unto him shall obtain this blessed priviledge of living for evermore Our days here are but a shaddow Vita ipsa qua fruimur brevis est Salust Pulvis umbra sumus we soon pass away into Eternity and is not life eternal much more to be esteemed of then to be everlastly in a dying state of misery and yet never die 5ly Thou shalt have joy Rom. 15.13 Act. 16 25. The God of peace fill you with all joy in believing In the midst of outward troubles and afflictions this joy will keep thee company as it did Paul and Silas in Fetters they Sung praises to God this joy will be strength to thee Neh. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is our strength It is not like the worldlings joy which is transient and momentary but it is everlasting joy Isa 35.10 The Ransomed of the Lord shall return to Zion with Songs and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Indeed after thou dost come to Christ Psal 42.5 and hast tasted of this joy whilest thou art here Sinning God may for a time hide his Face but when thou dost return again by repentance and humiliation he will again lift up the light of his countenance upon thee and put more gladness into thy Soul then all sublimary consolations can Psal 4.6.7 and when thou dost come above the Clouds thou shalt then rejoice for ever Psal 16.11 In thy presence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satietas laetitiarum fullness of joys or as the Word sinifies fullness to Satiety Thou wilt have it in abundance then therefore defer not thy coming to Christ 6ly If thou comest unto him thou shalt have a Crown and Kingdom Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father Mat. 25.34 inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Christ has prepared the Kingdom for you and by your coming to him he prepares you for the Kingdom I say from the word of God thou shalt have a Kingdome
come unto him neglect not but come For Christ came that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 Jo. 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest that he might destroy the Works of the Devil By nature we are slaves to Satan and he tiranizeth over us and the way to be effectually delivered from it is by coming to Christ and being weary of and willing to throw away his Yoke and to yield subjection unto Christ I say the way to be eased of these Burthens is to come to Christ as weary and heavy laden with them 6ly Come unto the Lord Jesus repenting and believing I put these both together because I would contract Christ is ready to behold the Watery Eye and bleeding heart caused by a sence of the heinousness of Sin with a gracious aspect he loves a broken and contrite Spirit he is willing to heal the wounds of a broken heart and set at liberty them that are bruised with the intollerable Burthen of Sin Luk. 4.18 and a sence of the wrath of God and because of that are willing to turn to Christ and become wholly his Those who are Heirs of the Crown of glory are for the most part brought to the Kingdom by weeping Cross Luk. 13.3 Except you repent ye shall all likewise Perish So likewise there must be a believing or else there is no true closing with Christ for Faith is the Hand that lays hold on Christ the Mouth that feeds upon him and derives out of his fulness Jo. 1.16 That Soul is in a dead and deplorable state and condition that hath not a saving Faith in Christ Jo. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see Life but the wrath of God abideth on him There is nothing but Wrath for that Soul that believes not in the Lord Jesus 7ly and lastly Come unto Christ with high estimations and valuations of that rest which Christ hath Promised for this will discover thy sincerity and true love to divine and spiritual things and hereby thou wilt honour Christ when thou believest in him and preferrest his Rest above all that this vain World can afford The World is a fading Perishing thing and the best rest that it gives is full of disquietness fears perplexities but now the rest which Christ will give hath so much contained in it that the World cannot compare with it therefor I say keep up a high valuation of this rest which leads me to the Motives that may induce us freely and chearfully to come unto Christ and they shall be taken from the consideration of what kind of rest this is which Christ will give unto them that come unto him 1. In regard of this World 1. It shall be a rest from the Dominion of Sin and I think it is a happy rest and priviledge to be free from the dominion of Sin if it was only this rest that should be obtained it would be very well worth coming unto Christ for who would be a slave and servant to Sin Humanorum nullum est grave malorum nisi Peccatum Chrisost which brings trouble and vexation of Spirit now those the Son makes free they are free indeed Jo. 8.34 35 36. Whosoever commiteth Sin is the Servant of Sin and the Servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever if the Son therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed It is Christ alone that can make any free from the raigning power of Sin therefore come unto him that thou mayest partake of this Blessedness not to be a Servant of Sin whilst thou art here it is a base servitude and very dishonourable most uncomfortable and hath the least and worst security for he that is Servant to Sin hath abundance of Enemys but no real Friends therefore he is obnoctious to miserys every moment both temporal and eternal 2ly It is a Rest from the tyranny of Satan although not from his temptations Snares whilst thou abidest in this sinful world and art a sojourner as all thy Fathers were the Devil will hunt and tempt thee to commit Iniquity but yet if thou comest unto Christ he will give thee rest from the tiranical power of this grand enemy for he will do and say unto thee as he did unto Paul when buffered by the Messenger of Satan My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in thy weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 And if thou hast the strength of Christ for thee although thou art weak in thy self Yet thou wilt be strong to resist Satan Vers 10. of that Chap. 3ly It is an inward Soul-rest that thou shalt have if thou comest unto him it is not such a Rest as the world gives neither can the World deprive thee of it the World may afflict and perplex thy outward man and give no rest unto it but it can never touch thy internal peace rest if Christ is pleased to confer it upon thee if thou hast rest for thy Soul thou art most happy even in the midst of Worldly disquietments for it is the affliction and trouble of the Soul that is the Soul of affliction but now Christ hath promised to give this Soul-rest to those that come unto him Mat. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Spirit and ye shall find rest for your Souls This indeed is the best of rests for suppose a man hath never so many temporal injoyments yet if his Soul be not at rest and peace all these blessings seem to be cursed to him because his Soul is under preturbations or if not so yet under sleepy sinful security which is worse but O the serene calmness peace sedateness that the saints injoy in this life for I am not speaking of that rest the Righteous shall inherit hereafter but whilst we are here in the Wilderness and journy to Canaan God hath promised to give them peace Isa 26.3 Whose minds are stayed upon him and the Saints experience this dayly 2ly What kind of peace and rest this is in regard of the future World 1. It is a true rest not any fiction of the Poets but a certain and firm rest that Christ hath purchased for Non expectationem fallit and promised to believers they shall be sure of it for he that cannot lye hath promised it he who is the Amen Rev. 3.14 He in whose mouth was found no guile therefore he will not deceive poor Souls for The foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 Men many times promise themselves rest but it proves false to them for the most part and they never find that rest which they imagined would be their lot but now this rest will prove true even beyond expectation 2. The rest that Christ will give to them that come unto him shall be perfect and compleat rest it is not part rest and other
those into whose hands this my Book may come and find acceptation with and also to encourage them to come unto Christ who so graciously invites poor sinners to come that they may have rest for their souls 2d Argument à nominibus Divinis from the names of God which are also given to Christ he is called a Rom. 9.5 God over all b 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifest in the flesh c Tit. 3 13. the great God so Is 9.6 the mighty God now the meer name is not only ascribed to the Lord Jesus as it was to them Psal 82.6 but because he truly is so 2d the name Jehovah as in Jer. 23.6 this is the name whereby he shall be called Jehovah our righteousness the name Jehovah has relation to the very essence and being of God and springs from the same root with that Exod. 3.14 I am that I am in Rev. 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is termed He that was is and is to come 3ly Lord which relates to his dominion over and sustentation of the world Heb. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou Lord in the begining hast laid the foundations of the Earth Psal 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool The name Lord in the first place is meant of the Father but in the second of the Son as Christ himself interprets it Mat. 22.44 Thus it appears by the names of God given unto him he is not a meer creature Essentia Dei tum ex nominibus ejus tum ex proprietatibus intelligitur Wol. Job 32.21 22. for the Essence of God is understood from his names and properties Now these being given to the Lord Jesus we may conclude there is more appertains to him than meerly the names for if Elihu could say I know not to give flattering titles for in so doing my Maker would soon take me away what blasphemy then will it be to imagine that the holy Spirit will do so his names are real and proper to him for he is what the Scriptures term him to be and a happy soul wilt thou be if thou canst believingly say with Thomas my Lord and my God Joh. 20.28 3d Argument Proprietates Dei essentiales attribuntur Christo Alsted the essential properties of God which are ascribed to him prove that he is of a divine essence and nature as 1 Immensity Joh. 14 23 If a man love me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him As Christ Jesus is of an infinite nature he is altogether immeasurable 2ly Eternity as in Micah 5.2 But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall come forth unto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ab initio diebus aeternitatis that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old or as in the Original from the begining from the days of eternity which very well agrees with that of the Apostle In the begining was the word and the word was with God the word was God Joh. 1.1 he does not mean here the begining of the Creation for then he might be accounted a blasphemer because he asserts that he is God Rev. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he means that God the Son was with God the Father even from Eternity 3ly Immutability is attributed to him Heb. 1.8 Joh. 8.58 Heb. 1.10 11 12. And thou Lord in the begining hast laid the foundations of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thy hands they shall perish but thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a garment and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail The Lord Jesus is not mutable as the creatures are but he ever abides the same Heb. 13.8 4ly Omnisciency which is an essential property of God and cannot be ascribed to any created thing but it is written of the Lord Jesus that he knows all things Rev. 2.23 even the hearts and thoughts of men Jer. 17.10 I search the heart and I try the reins which is the great Attribute of God alone for it is he only that is God that can unlock the doors of the Soul and penetrate into the dark chambers thereof and search out its secret imaginations and actions Peter could say to Christ Lord thou knowest all things Joh. 21.17 all things past present and to come are naked plain to him he needs none to instruct him what has been or shall be or what the thoughts of men are Mat. 12.25 Jesus knew their thoughts not only their words or external actions but their internal cogitations were manifest to him 5ly Ubiquity and Omnipresency as Christ saith Mat. 18.20 where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them now he could not have said this of himself if he was not God So Mat. 28 20. Lo I am with you to the end of the World Lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in omnibus diebus Omnipotency is attributed to him for he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 as there is nothing too hard for God the Father so there is nothing impossible to God the Son he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Almighty Rev. 1.8 Isa 9.6 and in Isa he is called the mighty God mighty to save his Elect ones †Omnia Atttibuta propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singulis Divinitatis personis competunt and mighty to confound his and their enemies This clearly proves the Deity of the Lord Jesus for all the Attributes because of the sameness of the Essence belong to the three Persons only with the limitation of a Persons propriety 4. Argument ex operibus Divinis from his divine works for as never man spake as the Lord Jesus spake so there was never meer man did or could do as he hath done or can do For 1 he created the World all things both in Heaven and Earth Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him Heb. 1.10 and without him was not any thing made that was made The Apostle in the words that was made seems to exclude sin as being no creature of Gods making sin came into the World as rottenness into an apple which is meerly the defection of the creature from its primitive solidity and pure original essence Heb. 1. 10. And thou Lord in the begining hast laid the foundation of the Earth the Heavens are the works of thy hands 2ly Conservation is an act of the Lord Jesus Coll. 1.16 for he supports conserves and upholds all things by his omnipotent arm Coll. 1.17 3ly those miraculous Works which he did to confirm his doctrine do evidently prove his Divinity and call for divine faith Joh. 14.11 as Christ
it do make it manifest 1. It cleanseth and puryfieth the heart true Faith and an unsanctified Heart are never concomitants or coinhabitants Acts 15.9 And put no difference between us and them Purifying their Hearts by Faith A defiled Gentile as well as a chosen Jew is purified by Faith for Faith apprehends the right means of purifying scil the Blood of Christ it will not suffer corruption to remain predominant in the Soul therefore the People of God are said to be a holy Temple for the Holy God to dwell and abide in 2 Cor. 6.16 2ly It lifts the Heart above the World and makes it come off Conquerer 1 Joh. 5.4 5. Whosoever is Born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Vers 5. Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God Faith is a World-conquering Grace it can presentiate future things it looks to the Land that is a far off Isa 33.17 Faith cloaths the Soul with the Sun of Righteousness and gets the Moon of this World under his Feet it regards these things but as perishing and transitory the things of the future and sempiternal world to be most Glorious Permanent and abiding It was by Faith that all the Worthy Champions of Christ have conquered this Base World and followed their Lord and Master through the greatest difficultys I might instance in many Moses Refused all the Pomp and Splendor of Pharaohs Court the Riches and Grandeur of the World and made a voluntary choise of suffering with the People of God and esteemed the reproach of Christ greater Riches then all the Riches of Egypt but how did this valliant Conquerer break through all these difficultys what could not Courts nor Kingdoms nor Terrors of a King nor Treasures nor Horrors nor Displeasures conquer one Moses such an Army as here was set in aray against him the least of which is enough to foil if not to conquer the greatest Monarch if Faith be not his sheild Eph. 6.16 Heb. 11.24 25. 26 27. but all these cords were too weak to hold him whilst the seven-fold Lock of Faith remained his strength abode firm and his bow abode in strength it was by Faith he did all this and there were two main Pillars which supported him and his Faith the first was looking to him who is invisible i. e. God The second was the prospecting and looking forward to the recompence of reward I might number up many more Instances but in short all the Servants of Christ have this conquering Faith Rom. 8.37 for the nature of it although one acts inferiour to another by reason of the different degrees some being not called to that tryal as others are but all have a measure of this Rom. 8.37 Nay in all these things speaking of several sorts of afflictions we are more then Conquerers through him that Loved us Every Christian is to Fight the Fight of Faith and Righteousness and in a Combat there is a conquerer and the Conquered either we Conquer the World or the World Conquers us but if we come off Conquerers it must be by the Shield of Faith 3ly It is a labouring working Faith in opposition to an Idle Faith Jam. 2.22 Seest thou how Faith wrought with his Work and by Works was Faith made perfect That is by his works it was manifest that his Faith was a perfect and right Gospel one true Faith is opperative it is active in puting the Soul upon all obedience unto God as it did Abraham in that difficult Service he was called to by Faith he went through with it Heb. 11.17 By Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered his Son Isaac Faith put Noah upon his obedience unto God when all others neglected their Salvation and the Preach-of Noah unto them Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet he being religiously afraid as the word may be rendred prepared an Ark to the saving of his house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A right saving Faith whereever it is Religiose solisite cavet ne Deum offendat puts the Soul upon the performance of all dutys injoyned and commanded by God it doth not rest only in a bare assent to the revealed will of God saying it is true and so sits down there and proceeds no farther but it is up and doing for God Christ and the Soul 4ly It is a Living Faith it works a principal of Life in the Heart where it is wrought The just shall live by Faith In opposition to a dead faith Rom. 1.17 Heb. 10.38 It is a quickening Principle which inlivens all other graces and keeps them in motion they would all faint and Dye if Faith did not keep them alive Gal. 2.20 I am Crucified with Christ nevertheless I Live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the Life I now Live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Here the Apostle clearly manifests how he lived it was by a living Principle of saving Faith apprehending a living Jesus 5ly and Lastly It is a lasting and permanent in opposition to a temporary and perishing Faith many pretend to believe but it is for a time like the Stony-ground Hearers which rejoyce to day and by reason of some afflictions are offended to morrow but now true Faith is abiding Mat. 13.20.21 growing and increasing dayly 1 Jo. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God sineth not for his seed remaineth in him This Seed remains firm there because it is sowed not by Satan but by the Spirit of God Heb. 10.39 We are not of those who draw back into perdition but them who believe to the saving of the Soul According to that of Christ he that induers to the End shall be saved There must be a Perseverance in Faith if we expect the Crown of Righteousness for Christ will Crown none but conquerers and none can conquer unless they believe and none believe but them who persevere in it 4ly It is known by its effects I shall mention only these two Joy and Peace 1. Joy and exaltation Rom. 15.13 Now the God of Peace fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing Joy is a Fruit that Grows upon the root of Faith what hath made the Servants of Christ in all Ages Rejoice when they met with nothing in the Inn of this World but rough Entertainment but their believing in Christ 1 Pet. 1.8 The Apostle in vers 7. tells the believers of the tryal of their Faith and the preciousness of it in the day of Christ and saith in the 8. vers whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Faith assends by the wings of Love and Zeale and fixeth it self above the Clouds and takes a view of the celestial
then come unto Christ as labouring under the intollerable Burthen of sin for sin is a heavy burthen although multitudes in the world count it light as may be seen by their chearful countenances merry hearts jovial lives and running and drawing under this burthen into Eternity being very little concerned for the weight of it Holy David was sensible of the ponderosity of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onus grave when he cried out Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as agrievous they are too heavy for me The pressure of sin lay so hard upon poor David that it made his back bend his heart pant his tongue roar and his groanings to multiply as may be seen in that 38. Psal at large So Psal 40.12 Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine Iniquities have taken hold of me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart forsaketh me He was so bowed down under this burthen that he could not elevate himself nay it made his very heart forsake him when he considered the gravity and innumerable number of them but what did David do in this case why he goes to God through Christ for ease from this great and heavy burthen Psal 25.11 For thy Name sake O Lord pardon mine Iniquity for it is great great both for weight and number therefore for thy Names sake magnify thy grace and what was the Issue see Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin He went with this Burthen to the Lord and found Mercy and Pardon from him so must thou do Go to Christ under the sense of the weightiness of your sins and beg him according to his promise to ease thee of thy burthen which otherwise will sink thee down into eternal misery for it weighed Angels out of Glory and now confines them under Chains of darkness therefore come unto Christ for he will not refuse thee because of the greatness of thy burthen but rather imbrace thee for the Exaltation of his free grace 3ly Come labouring under a deep sense of the immense and intollerable weight of the wrath of God for who can endure if he be inraged or what can stand and oppose if God be the Antagonist Job 9.34 by nature we are all under this burthen Eph. 2.3 And were by Nature Children of wrath even as others i. e. by nature we are subject and liable to Divine vengeance because the imputation of the guilt of Adams transgression abides upon us and the corruption of Nature is derived unto us The extream weightiness of this wrath makes damned Angels and wicked Spirits roar lament and gnash their teeth It is more tollerable * Poets Fiction Atlas-like to bear the Heavens upon our shoulders or to lye under Rocks Mountains thousands of years then to abide under this wrath but a day nay an hour nay a minute for it burns yet never utterly consumes it presseth heavy without mitigation now there is no releasement from the obnoxiousness to this wrath but from a deep sense of the grievousness of it by applying our selves speedily to the Lord Jesus for it is he alone that can deliver from the wrath that is to come 1 Thes 1.10 come unto Christ with a sense of it upon thy heart whilst thou art here that thou maist not see the intollerableness of it hereafter 4ly Come to Christ as labouring under and being heavy laden with the curse of the Law and the Empire of death I mean by the Empire of death not only our obnoxiousness to the stroke of death upon our bodys but the sting of death and the eternity of it in regard of our Souls Death has raigned by reason of sin Rom. 5. over the bodys of all two or three excepted and over the Souls of most even from Adam to Moses and from Moses untill Christ and from Christ even to our days Death is a universal Monarch his Empire is from East to West and from North to South There is no escaping his fatal blow Only believers then take their flight from a dead Corps to Christ who is their life from a muddy Tabernacle to a glorious city Rev. 21.22.23 Col. 3.3 Heb. 12.28 Rom. 2.15 from a tottering Cottage to a firm Kingdom from a dark and mortal state to a splendent and immortal glory for although the body dyes yet the life of the Soul is secure as Being hid with Christ in God Col. 3.4 Believers can never dye take it in a Spiritual sence so long as God and Christ live but yet I say the way to be freed from the eternal Bondage of this deadly Monarch is to come unto Christ for Ease from this burthen also Moreover the burden of the curse of the Law must be taken away or else the former Emperor will keep his dominion Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them But seeing we have not continued in all things to do them and therefore are under the curse what must we do now but go unto Christ who was made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Now the Judge when he gives forth pardon to the Malefactor expects that he should be sensible of the greatness of his guilt and also of his desert the sentence of Condemnation having passed upon him so Christ expects a sensible owning the Curse and Misery we are under that his grace may be magnified in our relief succour and Salvation 5thly Come unto Christ as labouring under the cruel tyrany of Satan for Satan is the Prince of the Powers of the Air Magnitudo mali in quatuor consistit quae sunt peccati gravita quae Dei immensum intollerabile pondus Mortis imperium Tyrannis Diaboli quae tollere abolere placare vincere nemo potuit nisi Deus Bucan and he rules in and over the children of disobedience and there is none that can deliver from this tyranny but Christ for as one reasoning why it behoved Christ the Redeemer to be God said it was for two causes 1. Ob magnitudinem mali For the greatness of the Evil by which mankind was pressed down 2. Ob magnitudinem Boni For the magnitude of the good which could be restored by no man nor Angel unto mankind but only by him who is God now the greatness of the Evil which Christ underwent and in fine overcame consisted in bareing the weight of Sin the intollerable burden of Gods wrath and in conquering Death and the tiranny of Satan which none could or was able to do but he that was God-man by his own mighty Power so that seeing Christ hath done these things for all those that