Redemption in Christ knoweth it cost his precious bloud should hee live any longer to himselfe to his former sinnes hee easily understands hee detaines his soule and body from Christ the purchase of Christ hee resolves therefore henceforth to know no thing no person unrelate to Christ hee hath obtained his pardon his deportment shall be as Coheire with Christ and heire to God of eternall glory hee will live honourably Try if you so live and breath act and affect that your conversation may be sutable to your priviledge and all your endeavours answerable to this Princely prerogative the forgivenesse of sinnes Doest thou labour to exalt the Lord and magnifie Jesus Christ above sin creature selfe comfortable signes if not e contra Fourthly the soule pardoned walks more comfortably than ever A man long time confined to bed home or prison set free with what inward joy satisfactory content his soule is comforted experience can best expresse so a poore soule formerly plunged in ghastly feares and hellish apprehensions to dwell and live in everlasting darknesse for want of pardon Now the Lord by his Spirit sealing as full as free remission no stranger can intermeddle to relate his joy unspeakable and full of glory pardon and peace remission and consolation like Aaron and Hur hold up Moses hands support the pardoned soule Goe in peace and be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee bee frequent expressions of holy Writ When by pardon of my sinne my soule beholds it selfe once a farre of now nigh by the bloud of Christ how can I but rejoyce the feares sorrow trembling horrour because my sinnes were unpardoned dispell'd must needs create inward joyes unspeakable for that mine iniquities are forgiven Try what inward joy and consolation in some measure at some time Gods Word affords from Christ in whom thou hast redemption Thus for the tryall Thirdly 3 Use for Reprehension this serves to reprove such as cannot say in him wee have redemption hath not pardon beene tendred free full long as the sinne the doome must bee thine if no redemption by Christ thou art a Captive to the power of thy lust and a bond slave to the curse of thy sinne to an ingenuous spirit it is misery to bee a prisoner to a superiour deep calamity to bee subject to an equall but a slave to his drudge vexation high little comfort left for the gallantry of bravest spirits but this they are enthralled by men and in that little comfort too but to bee enslaved under Hels Darling Heavens scorne the soules everlasting shame and confusion sinne makes not onely the eare to tingle heart to tremble but dumbes because it doomes to that Lake which burnes with torturing fire and sulphurous brimstone whether the pains of sence or losse be sorest needs no determination either enough to fill a soul with the terror of black despaire well consider l Job 20.11 The thoughts of a resurrection speakes the soule glad to returne to dust againe But hoping better things of you precious soules I spare to reprove and passe to the fourth Use 4. Use of Comfort To all you that can say in any measure my Saviours bloud is my Redemption let your soules rejoyce and all within you blesse his name For First thou art blessed as the sweet Psalmist m Psa 32.1 in this happy enough happy in Gods account what if deprived of earthly contents and enjoyments yet thou hast remission forgivenesse that 's worth a thousand Worlds I deny not deare soule but that many have more of blessings without but thou hast that white stone that new name n Rev. 2.17 affording such a consolation within as may fill thy soule with joy ineffable and full of glory Secondly by this assured of Salvation it is the souls trouble the uncertainty of the reward so that it workes it out with little below feare and trembling the forgivenesse of thy sinnes distills with a sweet influence enlightning to salvation as by the heat I know the fire burnes by the light I know the Sunne shines by the pardon of my sinne I am confident of the salvation of my soule o Luk. 1.77 Thirdly in this comfort whatsoever God sends or suffers t is in mercy no affront from beneath no desertion from above no affliction without no temptation within but proceeds from a Father as well as from a God Jonathans Arrowes were shot for David as at David the tender Mother gives with a bitter Pill closely Sugar to sweeten so the Lord though hee sometimes answers with terrible things yet hee is the God of salvation take comfort therefore Fourthly God will sanctifie thee as well as justifie thee thou shalt be partaker of his Spirit as well as of his bloud I know thy soule longeth to bee sanctified it shall bee bee comforted where God pardons hee purges so runnes the Covenant p Ezek. 36.25 26 27. seconded by the Apostle John q 1 Joh. 1.9 Object But here a soule is ready to complaine there is nothing in me from me that I should hope of the Lords pardon to me Answ To this I Answer Hast thou not as much as God looks for what had the Infant the Churches Hierogliphicke r Ezek. 16. but bloud in it polluted defiled yet God pittied What had the Prodigall yet his Father freely pardoned and joyfully entertained him Feare not then for Christs sake the Lord will doe more than this in him there is Righteousnesse Grace Perfection Merit enough to redeem from Hell the nethermost Hell to save to save to the highest Heavens Hath not he offered himselfe a Sacrifice for sinne for ever and will not he for ever perfect them that are sanctified and will the Lord remember their sinnes and iniquities any more Å¿ Heb. 10.12 17. Be comforted therefore and if this will not serve let God himselfe answer such an objection made t Isay 43.22 23 24. Exhort I hasten to the last Use Labour to subscribe to this truth you that cannot say you have redemption through his bloud Meanes First labour for a forgiving heart and a remitting spirit doe as you would bee done unto is the Royall Law u Mat. 6.14 with that of w Mark 11.25 26. Secondly labour for a truely humbled spirit a throughly humbled soul so that Promise sealed to thee in the twelfth of Zacharie the latter end and beginning of the thirteenth Chapter Thirdly believe in Christ entertaine him in all his Truths his Promises exercise thy faith in spight of opposition and x Acts 10.43 A faire instance y Mark 2.4 5. Motives God will then bee one with you Mot. 1 the first Adam by his sinne lost you the second Adam by his merit regained you no more a stranger from God or the Covenant of grace his Royall Attributes are martialled while you are in the valley of teares to doe you good Mot. 2 This will make you passe through all difficulties whatsoever with comfort now thou fearest and art amazed loath to hazard this or ventare that for God or his Gospell and why I have not my sinnes pardoned were I sure of this went I through a valley of teares and shadow of death I would feare no evill but with Paul z Rom. 8.32 challenge all persons and things that thus you may remaine faithfull and with comfort wade through a sea of bloud labour for Redemption Lastly yee that can say with Paul in the Text We have redemption c. Love him live to him and to none but him let your Duties Mercies Graces Lives bee praise to Jesus Christ you need not question Gods love the favour of the royall breast is knowne by Mercy by Remission hath the Lord delivered mee from the power of darknesse and translated mee to the Kingdome of his deare Sonne and shall not his free grace bee magnified Praise the Lord O my soule and let all that is within mee blesse his holy Name for his Christ by whose bloud I have redemption the forgivenesse of my sins and let all that wish well to my soule for my soule say blessed be the Lord for ever and ever Amen FINIS
your goodnesse yet as a morning cloud your grace so far from growing as 't is the early dew dismist dispell'd When a father thus by a child or a Prince thus by a Tyrone the doome of death must follow A harvest is set and at due time the axe must be laid to the root of the soule and the tree cut downe u Mat. 3.10 What in Christ at his Church and Ordinance of his profession and not fructifie multiply increase and grow See w Joh. 15.2 he takes away God and God takes away the firme influence of his spirit from the possession of his inheritance he takes away and then the soule withers and withers till fuell for everlasting burning Oh dismall when man endued with such a soul as an Angel of God should so undervalue it in the neglect of grace and sleight of God the God of grace such a grace such a God vilifyed what can be expected lesse then the height of calamity and depth of misery to be inflicted while Gods justice and Satans tyranny shall remain but hoping better things of you and wishing better things to you I wave the terrour and passe to the use of comfort Vse 4 To all such as Grow in grace Comfort for 1. Thou art more then a naturall man then take comfort wert in nature only I could not line or letter of consolation thus but daub with untempered mortar but intituled to or invested with grace true comfort indeed When a Parent sees a child out-run his extravagant courses to become a man and a man of God in the world is it not great comfort so for a beleeving husband or wife to perceive the worke of grace in each other joy to ravishment Nor can the Minister be silent in this but when he beholds Jesus Christ formed in his Congregation he must rejoyce with joy unspeakable full of glory for his people being filled with grace and is it not a joy for the Church of God nigh you by you so let it be to thy soule also Thou art more then a naturall man 2. Art growne in grace herein is comfort that more shall be given thee to him to her that hath shall bee given x Mat. 25.26 more given to you more done for you God himselfe will purge you that yee may bring forth more fruit y Joh. 15.2 the Lord seldome never meddles with a soule but it fares the better growes the faster A secret influentiall vertue distils it selfe to the flourishing in grace and duty and perfecting to every good worke this talent doubled thy grace blessed that more and more fruitfull and abundant in the worke of the Lord be comforted 3. Ye can more boldly goe to the Throne of grace the growne righteous man as bold as a Lion so comfortably a weake new-borne babe cannot approach before the presence of a jealous God and consuming fire as one that with resolved exercise of sanctifying grace hath waded through the troubled waters of mortification c. and landed at the haven of full assurance Jesus Christ being our High-priest warrants it the Apostle inferres it z Heb. 10.21 22. for he by his one oblation for ever hath perfected them that are sanctified a Heb 10.14 He therefore exhorts and so comforts the Saints as b Heb. 4.15 16. and may not that comfort Compl. But oh I see other that younger more illiterate unlearned then I have more grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ then I therefore I feare the truth the growth of grace and what can I take of comfort Resp And what if so why O soul shouldst thou be disquieted take heed of a curious eye when the hand of providence disposes as pleases him beware it displease not thee lest you murmure and suffer it was none of Joshua's vertues to exasperate Moses for the prophecying of Eldad and Medad c Num. 11.28 29. but Moses is for our imitation And blesse ye the Lord that he adds to the number of his Church and you behold others to magnifie the name of Jesus Christ A grown Christians eyes gush out with rivers of teares when men sinne against God and their hearts leap with joy at the conversion salvation of others seeing the Gospell of Jesus Christ inlarged Goe ye and doe likewise ye and they shall have eternall possession be not overwhelmed with sorrow 2. The lesse ye have the lesse to answer for the Lord requires no more then he gives if you have five talents five more will content if you have but two two more will satisfie The Lord is not severe austere if you have not an oxe or heifer a goat kid or lamb nay a turtle Pigeon God will not extort be but faithfull fruitfull in thy little and he will make thee ruler over much God looks to the truth of thy graces to the quality rather then the quantity so that if but a mite a cup of cold water accepted rewarded be therefore comforted 3. Thou that growest though but little and other more thou shalt never want thou shalt hold out 't is to the happinesse of salvation and why not to the hearts consolation thy grace is Gods grace he a fountain when thou beginnest to be dry know God can refresh renew In the Prophets phrase I end all Thou shalt be as a Tree planted by the waters whose root spreads out by the river thou shalt not see when heat commeth but thy leafe shall be green thou shalt not be carefull in the yeare of drought neither shalt cease from yeelding fruit d Jer. 17.8 Take this for thy comfort and I am now dismissing this Assembly Suffer but a word of exhortation Vse 5 First Grow grow thrive and prosper in grace and knowledge of God let me crave leave to prescribe meanes to propound motives and I have done 1. Exercise of grace that little that truth of grace you have do we not direct use legs and have legs use memory and have memory actions intend habits Stirre up and exercise that grace of God in you and your morning dawning will appeare bright as the Sun 2. Unite to gracious company joyn to the assemblies of the Saints withdraw not from such as speake to edification giving grace to the hearers the tongues that are tipped with the language of Canaan will advantage to enlightning to greater heat and further growth sit not in the seat of the wicked that cooles discourse furthers the Schollars studies good counsell helps forward to heaven 't is sad because oft too late to say oh that I had followed good counsell of such Ministers friends parents I had never come to this place of execution lest we repent too late use the society of the Saints 3. Beware of secret corruption as fame and credit wil keep a natural man from open scandalous transgression let grace and piety keep a spirituall man from secret corruption strive and pray against it as David in the nineteenth Psalme Dust coales
vengeance oh sweet vengeance on thy sinnes recompence on thy poore desires but what goes before to whom is this salvation engaged to the fearfull heart c Isa 35.4 Try hast dost feare sinnes curse heavens anger hope thy Saviour is working a pardon for thee his Saint Once more if thy soule be pardoned then it hath been throughly humbled will not experience tell you reason informe you when a sinne is deeply sensed a soule is terribly afraid and how can it then but be throughly humbled how should it lesse When the promises of the Lord are engaged to comfort the broken contrite and humble soule and the Lord of Promises inhabiting Eternity inthrones himselfe in such a soule d Isa 57.15 when the day of expiation was the soule was to be afflicted e Lev. 23. why but to hint as God was ready to shew himselfe mercifull so the people ought to shew themselves humble A childe when faulty or servant guilty expect no favour except they be submissive so a poore soule little hope of mercy till humble Repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand that kingdome that affords the subduing of and pardon for sin to a poore penitent humble soul Try hast bin humbled for every sinne as any sinne hast sentenced thy selfe to hell hast been afraid to come before God lying low in thy eyes worth nothing but confusion hast aggravated thy sinne against such a God such a Father faire hopes for a gracious pardon Lastly Try hast sought dost seeke with all earnestnesse and intensenesse of soule and spirit making it the great request that the Lord vouchsafe pardon and forgivenesse to thy poore soule When a man is in danger of the Kings wrath will he not endeavour a composition and when a poore soule sees it selfe by sinne in danger of hell will it not seeke the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is neare by and by the Lord will abundantly pardon How earnestly will a condemned malefactor sue and cry good my Lord mercy mercy my Lord I beseech you for Christs sake even so the soule sentenced to the gates of death and chambers of hell hearing the God of sinners is a mercifull God in all duties upon all opportunities seeks for redemption the forgivenesse of their sins crying for Christs sake to find grace the soule knowes well that prayer breaks downe the banke of sinne and makes a sluce for the streames of divine pardon to flow amaine to a praying soule Pray if perhaps the thoughts of the heart may be forgiven was the advice of Simon Peter to Simon Magus f Acts 8.22 when a soule knowes it is blessed in heavens accompt if the sins be remitted g Psa 32.1 what can impead the soule from making out with such earnestnesse that neither lets it selfe nor the Lord be quiet till a pardon be sealed by this time I conceive the Lord Jesus discovers himselfe to the soule the one the only one in whom it hath redemption c. These precedent foregoings for pardon experience will attest sure enough le ts heare the minstrels which follow after First the soule accepts thankfully who can expresse the gratitude the gladdest tydings and joyfullest newes that could be related to a poore drooping Christian that all the day and night long crys out oh my sinnes oh my sins How thankfull will a poor bedrid man be to his Physitian that is instrumentall to his inlargement how thankfull a prisoner endungeoned for his freedome or a condemned person at the place and minute of execution to heare and see a pardon And what thanks unutterable to the Lord will a poore soule render what huggings and embracings what speakings and actings of thanks till obtained deep load dreadfull feare humble dejection and earnest seeking now an answer of peace enjoyed how thankfull Higgaion Selah can best expresse though farre beneath the thanks of a soule redeemed by the bloud of Christ Try if thy soule hath gladly accepted joyfully received this unspeakable mercy by the returne of ineffable soul-hearty thanks canst thou in some measure subscribe to h Rev. 1.5 or to i Rev. 9. or this third verse to blesse God as for other so for this his spirituall blessing redemption forgivenesse of sinnes a comfortable signe To proceed Secondly a soule pardoned will henceforth shun sinne carefully it well knowes there is forgivenesse with the Lord that he may be feared the childe once flamed or gasht will feare the burning fire and cutting knife long after the prisoner coopt up to hardship and dungeon-straights released will be fearfull of debts and sin againe And shall not a soule long fetter'd by the hellish guilt and apprehension of sinne redeemed through the only worth of Christs all-meritorious bloud dare to meddle with sinne the way to hell as hell it selfe The pardoned soule knowes there is only one Physitian to afford forgivenesse to attaine his care and cure a worke and labour of highest difficulty nor can the sonne of man or Daughter of Jerusalem bee more watchfull over an unparalleld glasse than the pardoned sinner over his soul fearing if once broken hard if ever possible to bee repaired The apprehension of this made one of the Ancients to say Till sinne hath done as much for me as God I will have nothing to doe with the stoole of iniquity Try precious soule canst say I have washed my feet how shall I defile them gracious pardon hath cast off the ragges of sinne what have I to doe any more with Idolls shall such a one as I flee have I shed so many teares to the dimming of my eyes to the breaking of my heart have I beene oft hurried as low as everlasting burnings to obtaine a pardon for my sinne and hath infinite goodnesse enricht my soule in its forgivenesse and shall it be in vaine shall I againe returne with the Dogge to the vomit and with the Swine to wallow in wickednesse God forbid I le shunne sinne hereafter carefully dost thou so desirest thou truely so a hopefull signe Thirdly a pardoned soule will live honourably if once thou gaine Redemption through Christ thou wilt live like a Saint on earth yea a Citizen in heaven yea thou wilt walke like the redeemed of the Lord not as one imprisoned in a mierie Dungeon but as one walking in a Paradise of Eden now as the Prodigall in a new Garment a Vesture of Righteousnesse not as the Brat of Hell but as heavens Royall Off-spring not with the menstruous Cloathes of sinfull Adam but the Candid stole of Christs innocency daily invested with his holy-day apparell his conversation in heaven his vaine thoughts dislodged his frothy words checked his idle wayes refrained the whole man Saint-like hee is bought with a price hee will glorifie the Lord with body and soule hee puts to his Seale t is a sinne with a shame and curse to keep the Labourers hire k Deut. 24.15 A soule that sees his