conditions betwen the Father and Christ. Wherefore when he cometh into the vvorld he saith Sacrifices and Offerings thou wouldest not that is the Old Covenant must not stand but give way to another Sacrifice vvhich thou hast prepared which is the giving up my Manhood to the stroaks of thy Justice for a body hast thou prepared me Heb. 13. 20 21. This doth prove us under Grace Secondly On the Mediators side that he should be put to death and on God the Fathers side that he should raise him up again this was concluded on also to be done between God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. On Christs side that he should die to give the justice of the Father satisfaction and so to take away the curse that was due to us wretched sinners by reason of our transgressions and that God his Father being every ways fully and compleatly satisfied should by his mighty power revive and raise him up again He hath brought again our Lord Jesus that is from death to life through the vertue or effectual satisfaction that he received from the blood that was shed according to the terms of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13. 21 22. Thirdly On the Mediators side that he should be made a curse and on the Fathers side that through him sinners should be inheritors of the blessing what wonderful love doth there appear by this in the heart of our Lord Jesus in suffering such things for our poor bodies and souls Gal. 3. 13 14. This is Grace Fourthly That on the Mediators side there should be by him a victory over Hell Death and the Devil and the curse of the Law and on the Fathers side that these should be communicated to sinners and they set at liberty thereby Zech. 9. 12. Turn to the strong hold saith God ye prisoners of hope even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee Why so It is because of the blood of my Sons Covenant verse 11. which made Paul though sensible of a body of death and of the sting that death did strike into the souls of all those that are found in their sins bold to say O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin that is true and the terrible Law of God doth aggravate and set it home with unsupportable torment and pain but shall I be daunted at this No I thank my God through Jesus Christ he hath given me the victory so that now though I be a sinner in my self yet I can by believing in Jesus Christ the Mediator of this New Covenant triumph over the Devil Sin Death and Hell and say do not fear my soul seeing the victory is obtained over all my enemies through my Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. This is the way to prove our selves under Grace Fifthly that on the Mediators side he should by thus doing bring in everlasting righteousness for Saints Dan. 9. 24. and that the Father for this should give them an everlasting Kingdom 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. Eph. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 4. 18. Luke 22. 28 29. But in the next place this was not all that is the Covenant of Grace with the conditions thereof was not only concluded on by both parties to be done but Jesus Christ he must be authorized to do what was concluded on touching this Covenant by way of Office I shall therefore speak a word or two also touching the Offices at least some of them that Christ Jesus did and doth still execute as the Mediator of the New Covenant which also was typed out by the Levitical Law for this is the way to prove that we are not under the Law but under Grace And first His first Office after the Covenant was made and conâ—â—ded upon was that Jesus should become bound as a Surety and stand ingaged upon Oath to see that all the conditions of the Covenant that was concluded on between him and his Father should according to the agreement be accomplished by him And secondly that after that he should be the messenger from God to the world for to declare the mind of God touching the tenor and nature of both the Covenants especially of the New one the Scripture saith that Jesus Christ was not only made a Priest by an Oath but also a surety or bonds-man as in the 7 of Hebrews at the 21. 22. verses in the 21. verse he speaketh of the priesthood of Christ that it was with an Oath faith in the 22. verse By so much also was Jesus made the surety of a better Testament or Covenant Now the Covenant was not only made on Jesus Christs side with an Oath but also on God the Fathers side that it might be for the better ground of stablishment to all those that are or are to be the children of the Promise Methinks it is wonderful to consider that the God and Father of our souls by Jesus Christ should be so bent upon the salvation of sinners that he would covenant with his Son Jesus for the security of them and also that there should pass an Oath on both sides for the confirmation of their resolution to do good as if the Lord had said My Son thou and I hâ—â—e here made a Covenant that I on my paâ—â— should do thus and thus and that thou on thy part shouldest do so and so now that we may give these souls the best ground of comfort that may be there shall pass an Oath on both sides that our children may see that we do indeed love them Wherein God willing more ABUNDANTLY to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel in making of the Covenant confirmed it by an Oath That we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Heb. 7. 21. Mark the sixth Chapter saith God confirmed his part by an Oath and the seventh saith Christ was made or set on his Office also by an Oath Again Once saith God have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David Psal. 89. 34 35. nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth as was before cited Herein you may see that God and Christ was in good earnest about the salvation of sinners for so soon asever the Covenant was made the next thing was who should be bound to see all those things fulfilled which was conditioned on between the Father and the Son The Angels they would have no hand in it The world could not do it The Devils had rather see them damned then they would wish them the least good thus Christ looked and there was none to help though the burthen lay never so heavy upon his shoulder he must bear it himself for there was none besides himself to uphold or so much as to step in to be bound to see the conditions before mentioned fulfilled neither in whole
for himself as soon as Christ had he been very God as Jesus Christ was For the reason why the posterity of Adam even so many of them as fall short of life must lye broyling in hell to all eternity is this They are not able to give the justice of Gods satisfaction they being not infinite as aforesaid But Christ that is God-man being come an high Priest that is to offer and give satisfaction of good things to comè by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own mark you that but by his own blood he hath entered into the holy place having already obtained eternal redemption for us But how For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an beifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purging of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit who through the power and vertue of his infinite Godhead offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God And for this cause that is for that he is God as well as man and so able to give justice an infinite satisfaction therefore he is the Mediator of the New Covenant that by the means of his death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 11 12 13 14 15. as I said before Object This is much but is God contented with this Is he satisfied now in the behalf of sinners by this mans thus suffering If he is then how doth it appear Answ. It is evident yea wonderful evident that this hath pleased him to the full as appeareth by these following Demonstrations First In that God did admit him into his presence yea receive him with joy and musick even with the sound of a Trumpet at his ascension into Heaven Psal. 47. 5. and Christ makes it an argument to his Children that his righteousness was sufficient in that he went to his Father and they saw him no more John 16. 10. Of righteousness saith he because I go to my Father 〈◊〉 ye see me no more As if he had said My Spirit shall shew to the world that I have brought in a sufficient righteousness to justifie sinners withal in that when I go to appear in the presence of my Father on their behalf he shall give me entertainment and not throw me down from heaven because I did not do it sufficiently Again If you consider the high esteem that God the father doth set on the death of his Son you will find that he hath received good content thereby When the Lord Jesus by way of complaint told his Father that he and his merits were not valued to the worth his Father answered It is a light thing that I should give thee O my servant to bring Jacob again I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth Isa. 49. 1 2 3 4 5 6. As if the Lord had said My Son I do value thy death at a higher rate then that thou shouldest save the Tribes of Israel only behold the Gentiles the barbarous Heathens they also shall be brought in as the price of thy blood It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant only to bring or redeem the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth Again You may see it also by the carriage of God the Father to all the great sinners to whom mercy was proffered We do not find that God maketh any objection against them that come to him for the pardon of their sins because he did want a satisfaction suitable to the greatness of their sins There was Manasseth who was one that burnt his children in the fire to the devil 2 Chron. 33. from 1. to 12. that used witchcraft that used to worship the host of heaven that turned his back on the word that God sent unto him nay that did worse than the very heathen that God cast out before the children of Israel Also those that are spoken of Acts 19. 19. that did spend so much time in conjuration and the like Acts 8. for such I judge they were that when they came to burn their books they counted the price thereof to be fifty thousand pieces of Silver Simon Magus also that was a Sorcerer and bewitched the whole City yet he had mercy proffered to him once and again I say it was not the greatness of the sins of these sinners no nor of an innumerable company of others that made God at all to object against the salvation of their souls which justice would have constrained him to had he not had satisfaction sufficient by the blood of the Lord Jesus Nay further I do find that because God the Father would not have the merits of his Son to be undervalued I say he doth therefore freely by his consent let mercy be proffered to the greatest sinners in the first place for the Jews that were the worst of men in that day for blasphemy against the Gospel yet the Apostle proffered mercy to them in the first place It is necessary saith he that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you Acts 13. 46. Acts 3. 26. And Christ gave them commission so to do for saith he Let repentance and remission of sins be preached in my name among all nations and begin mark that begin at Jerusalem Luke 24. 47. Let them that but the other day had their hands up to the elbows in my heart blood have the first proffer of my mercy And saith Paul For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting 1 Tim. 15 16. As the Apostle saith those sinners that were dead possessed with the devil and the children of wrath he hath quickned delivered and saved Ephes. 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. that he might even in the very ages to come shew forth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us and that through Jesus Christ. Secondly It is evident that that which this man did as a common person he did it compleatly and satisfactorily as appears by the openness as I may so call it which was in the heart of God to him at his resurrection and ascension Ask of me saith he and I will give thee the very heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Psal. 2. 8. And this was at his resurrection Acts 13. 33. Whereas though he had asked yet if he had not given a full and compleat
him Devil seeing he cares for me no more no but he followed me still and won upon my heart by giving of me some understanding not only into my miserable state which I was very sensible of but also that there might be hopes of mercy also taking away that love to lust and placing in the room thereof a love to religion and thus the Lord won over my heart to some desire after the means to hear the word and to grow a stranger to my old companions and to accompany the people of God together with giving of me many sweet encouragements from several promises in the Scriptures but after this the Lord did wonderfully set my sins upon my conscience those sins especially that I had committed since the first convictions temptations also followed me very hard and especially such temptations as did tend to the making of me question the very way of salvation viz. whether Jesus Christ was the Saviour or no and whether I had best to venture my soul upon his blood for salvation or take some other course But being through grace kept close with God in some measure in prayer and the rest of the ordinances but went about a year and upwards without any sound evidence as from God to my soul touching the salvation as comes by Jesus Christ. But at the last as I may say when the set time was come then the Lord just before the men called Quaker's came into the Countrey did set me down 〈◊〉 blessedly in the truth of the Doctrine of Jesâ—s Christ that it made me marvail to see first how Jesus Christ was born of a Virgin walked in the world a while with his Disciples afterwards hanged on the Cross spilt his Blood was Buried Rose again Ascended above the Clouds and Heavens their lives to make intercession and that he also will come again at the last day to judge the World and take his Saints unto himself These things I say I did see so evidently even as if I had stood by when he was in the world and also when he was caught up I having such a change as this upon my soul it made me wonder and musing with my self at the great alteration that was in my spirit for the Lord did also very gloriously give me in his precious word to back the discovery of the Son of God unto me so that I can say through grace it was according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4. and as I was musing with my self what these things should mean methought I heard such a word in my heart as this I have set thee down on purpose for I have something more than ordinary for thee to do which made me the more marvel saying What my Lord such a poor wretch as I yet still this continued I have set thee down on purpose and so forth with more fresh incomes of the Lord Jesus and the power of the blood of his Cross upon my soul even so evidently that I saw through grace that it was the blood shed on Mount Calvary that did save and redeem sinners as clearly and as really with the eyes of my soul as ever methoughts I had seen a penny-loaf bought with a penny which things then discovered had such operation upon my soul that I do hope they did sweetly season every faculty thereof Reader I speak in the presence of God and he knows I lye not much of this and such like dealings of his could I tell thee of but my business at this time is not so to do but only to tell what operation the blood of Christ hath had over and upon my conscience and that at several times and also when I have been in several frames of spirit As first sometimes I have been so loaden with my sins that I could not tell where to rest nor what to do yea at such times I thought it would have taken away my senses yet at that time God through grace hath all of a suddenâ— so effectually applied the blood that was spilt at Mount Calvary out of the side of Jesus unto my poor wounded guilty conscience that presently I have found such a sweet solid sober heart comforting peace that it hath made me as if it had not been and withal the same I may say and I ought to say the power of it hath had such a powerful operation upon my soul that I have for a time been in a straight and trouble to think that I should love and honour him no more the vertue of his blood hath so constrained me Again sometimes methinks my sins have appeared so big to me that I thought one of my sins have been as big as all the sins of all the men in the Nation I and of other Nations too Reader these things be not fancies for I have smarted for this experience but yet the least stream of the heart blood of this man Jesus hath vanished all away and hath made it to flie to the astonishment of such a poor sinner and as I said before hath delivered me up into sweet and heavenly peace and joy in the holy Ghost Again sometimes when my heart hath been hard dead slothful blind and senseless which indeed are sad frames for a poor Christian to be in yet at such a time when I have been in such a case then hath the blood of Christ the precious blood of Christ the admirable blood of the God of Heaven that run out of his body when it did hang on the Cross so softned livened quickned and inlightned my soul that truly Reader I can say O it makes me wonder Again when I have been loaden with sin and pâ—stâ—red with several temptations and in very sad manner then have I had the trial of the vertue of Christs blood with the trial of the vertue of other things and I have found that when tears would not do prayers would not do repentings and all other things could not reach my heart O then one touch one drop one shining of the vertue of the blood of that blood that was let out with a spear it hath in a very blessed manner delivered me that it hath made me to marvel O â—methinks it hath come with such life such power with such irresistible and marvellous glory that it wipes off all the slurs silences all the out-cries and quenches all the fiery darts and all the flames of hell fire that are begotten by the charges of the Law Satan and doubtful remembrances of my sinful life Friends as Peter saith to the Church so I say to you I have not preached to you cunningly devised â—ables in telling you of the blood of Christ and what authority it hath had upon my Conscience O no but as Peter saith touching the coming of the Lord Jesus into the world so in some measure I can say of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that was shed when he did come into the world There is not only my single testimony
things that we have heard and not in any wise to let them be questioned and the rather because you see the Testament is not only now made but confirmed not only spoken of and promised but verily sealed by the death and blood of Jesus which is the Testatour thereof My Brethren I would not have you ignorant of this one thing that though the Jews had the promise of a sacrifice of an everlasting high Priest that should deliver them yet they had but the Promise for Christ was not sacrificed and was not then come an High Priest of good things to come only the Type the Shadow the Figure the Ceremonies they had together with Christs engaging as Surety to bring all things to pass that was promised should come and upon that account received and saved It was with them and their dispensation as this similitude gives you to understand Set the case that there be two men who make a covenant that the one should give the other ten thousand Sheep on condition the other give him two thousand pound but for as much as the Money is not to be paid down presently therefore if he that buyeth the Sheep will have any of them before the day of payment the Creditor requesteth a Surety and upon the engagement of the Surety there is part of the Sheep given to the Debtor even before the day of payment but the other at and after So it is here Christ covenanted with his Father for his Sheep I lay down my Life for my Sheep saith he but the Money was not to be paid down so soon as the bargain was made as I have already said I yet some of the Sheep were saved even before the Money was paid and that because of the suretiship of Christ as it is written Being justified or saved freely by his Grace through the Redemption or purchase of Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare himself righteous in his forgiving the Sins that are past or the Sinners who died in the Faith before Christ was crucified through Gods forbearing till the payment was paid to declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be Just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Rom. 3. 24. 25. 26. The end of my speaking of this is to shew you that it is not wisdom now to doubt whether God will save you or no but to believe because all things are finished as to our Justification The Covenant not only made but also sealed the Debt paid the Prison Doors â—lung off of the Hooks with a Proclamation from Heaven of Deliverance to the Prisoners of Hope saying Return to the strong hold ye Prisoners of Hope even to day do I declare saith God that I will render unto thee double Zech. 9. 12. And saith Christ when he was come The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because be hath anointed me to preach the Gospel that is good Tidings to the Poor that their Sins shall be pardoned that their Souls shall be saved He hath sant me to bind up the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of the Sight of the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised and to comfort them that mourn to preach the acceptable Year of the Lord. Luke 4. 18 19. Therefore here Soul thou may'st come to Jesus Christ for any thing thou wantest as to a common Treasure house being the principal Man for the distributing of the things made mention of in the New Covenant he having them all in his own custody by right of Purchase for he hath bought them all paid for them all Dost thou want Faith then come for it to the Man Christ Jesus Heb. 12. 2. Dost thou want the Spirit then ask it of Jesus Dost thou want Wisdom Dost thou want Grace of any â—ort Dost thou want a new Heart Dost thou want strength against thy Lusts against the Devils Temptations Dost thou want strength to carry thee thorow afflictions of Body and afflictions oâ— Spirit through Persecutions Wouldest thou willingly hold out stand to the last and be more than a Conquerour then be sure thou meditate enough on the Merits of the Blood of Jesus how he hath undertaken for thee that he hath done the work of thy Salvation in thy room that he is filled of God on purpose to fill thee and is willing to communicate whatsoever is in him or about him to thee Consider this I say and Triumph in it Again This may inform us of the safe state of the Saints as touching their Perseverance that they shall stand though Hell rages tho' the Devil roareth and all the World endeavoureth the ruine of the Saints of God tho' some through ignorance of the vertue of the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ do say a man may be a child of God to day and a child of the Devil to morrow which is gross ignorance for what is the Bloud of Christ the Death the Resurrection of Christ of no more vertue than to bring in for us an uncertain Salvation or must the effectualness of Christs merits as touching our Perseverance be helped on by the doings of Man surely they that are predestinated are also justified and they that are justified they shall be glorified Rom. 8. 30. Saints do not doubt of the salvation of your Souls unless you do intend to undervalue Christs Blood and do not think but that he that hath begun the good work of his grace in you will perfect it to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Phil. 1. 6. Should not we as well as Paul say I am persuaded that nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. O let the Saints know that unless the Devil can pluck Christ out of Heaven he cannot pull a true Believer out of Christ. When I say a true Believer I do mean such a one as hath the Faith of the Operation of God in his Soul Lastly Is there such Mercy as this such Priviledges as these is there so much ground of Comfort and so much cause to be Glad Is there so much store in Christ And such a ready heart in him to give it to me Hath his bleeding Wounds so much in them as that the Fruits thereof should be the Salvation of my Soul Of my sinful Soul As to save me sinful me rebellious me desperate me what then Shall not I now be holy Shall not I now study strive and lay out my self for him that hath laid out himself Soul and Body for me Shall I now love ever a Lust or Sin Shall I now be ashamed of the Cause Wayes People or Saints of Jesus Christ Shall I not now yield my Members as Instruments of Righteousness seeing my end is everlasting Life Rom. 6. Shall Christ think nothing too dear for me And shall I count any thing too dear for him Shall I grieve him
others go upright to the great Prejudice of thy poor Soul Object But alas I have nothing to carry with me how then should I go Answ. Hast thou no Sins If thou hast carry them and exchange them for his Righteousness because he hath said Cast thy Burthen upon the Lord and he will sustain thee Psal. 55. 22. and again because he hath said Though thou be heavy laden yet if thou do but come to him he will give thee rest Mat. 11. 28. Object But you will say Satan telleth me that I am so cold in Prayers so weak in believing so great a Sinner that I do go so slothfully on in the way of God that I am so apt to slip at every Temptation and to be entangled therewith together with other things so that I shall never be able to attain those blessed things that are held forth to sinners by Jesus Christ and therefore my trouble is much upon this account also and many times I fear that will come upon me which Satan suggesteth to me that is I shall miss of eternal Life 1. Answ. As to the latter part of the Objection that thou shalt never attain to everlasting Life That is obtained for thee already without thy doing either thy praying striving or wrestling against sin If we speak properly it is Christ that hath in his own Body abolished Death on the Cross and brought Light Life and Glory to us through this his thus doing But this is the thing that thou aimest at that thou shalt never have a share in this Life already obtained for so many as do come by Faith to Jesus Christ and all because thou art so slothful so cold so weak so great a Sinner so subject to slip and commit Infirmities 2. Answ. I answer Didst thou never learn for to out-shoot the Devil in his own Bow and to cut off his Head with his own Sword as David served Goliah who was a Type of him Quest. O how should a poor Soul do this this is rare indeed Answ. Why truly thus Doth Satan tell thee thou prayest but faintly and with very cold Devotion answer him thus and say I am glad you told me for this will make me trust the more to Christs Prayers and the less to my own also I will endeavour henceforward to groan to sigh and to be so fervent in my crying at the Throne of Grace that I will If I can make the Heavens rattle again with the mighty Groans thereof And whereas thou sayest that I am so weak in believing I am glad you mind me of it I hope it will hence forward stir me up to cry the more heartily to God for strong Faith and make me the more restless till I have it And seeing thou tellest me that I run so softly and that I shall go near to miss of Glory this also shall be through Grace to my advantage and cause me to press the more earnestly towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And seeing thou doest tell me that my Sins are wonderous great hereby thou bringest the remembrance of the unsupportable Vengeance of God into my mind if I dye out of Jesus Christ and also the necessity of the Blood Death and Merits of Christ to help me I hope it will make me fly the faster and press the harder after an interest in him and the rather because as thou tellest me my state will be unspeakable miserable without him And so all along if he tell thee of thy Deadness Dulness Coldness or Unbelief or the greatness of thy Sins answer him and say I am glad you told me I hope it will be a means to make me run faster seek earnestlier and to be the more restless after Jesus Christ. If thou didst but get this art as to out run him in his own Shooes as I may say and to make his own Darts to pierce himself then thou mightest also say now doth Satans Temptations as well as all other things work together for my Good for my Advantage Rom. 8. 28. Object But I do find so many weaknesses in every Duty that I do perform as when I pray when I read when I hear or any other Duty that it maketh me out of conceit with my self it maketh me think that my Duties are nothing worth Answ. I answer It may be it is thy Mercy that thou art sensible of Infirmities in thy best things thou doest I a greater Mercy then thou art aware of Quest. Can it be a Mercy for me to be troubled with my Corruptions Can it be a Priviledge for me to be annoyed with Infirmities and to have my best Duties infected with it How can it possibly be Answ. Verily thy Sins appearing in thy best Duties do work for thy Advantage these wayes First in that thou findest ground enough thereby to make thee humble and when thou hast done all yet to count thy self but an unprofitable Servant And secondly thou by this means art taken off from leaning on any thing below a naked Jesus for eternal Life It is like if thou wast not sensible of many by-Thoughts and Wickednesses in thy best Performances thou wouldest go near to be some proud abominable Hypocrite or a silly proud dissembling Wretch at the best such a one as would send thy Soul to the Devil in a bundle of thy own Righteousness but now thou through Grace seest that all and every thing thou doest there is sin enough in it to condemn thee This in the first place makes thee have a care of trusting in thy own doings And secondly sheweth thee that there is nothing in thy self which will do thee any good by working in thee as to the meritorious cause of thy Salvation No but thou must have a share in the Birth of Jesus in the Death of Jesus in the Blood Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of a crucified Jesus And how sayest thou doth not thy finding of this in thee cause thee to flie from a depending on thy own doings And doth it not also make thee the more earnestly to groan after the Lord Jesus Yea and let me tell thee also it will be a cause to make thee admire the freeness and tender-heartedness of Christ to thee when he shall lift up the light of his Countenance upon thee because he hath regarded such a one as thou sinful thou And therefore in this sense it will be a mercy to the Saints that they do find the reliques of sin still struggling in their Hearts But this is not simply the nature of sin but the Mercy and Wisdom of God who causeth all things to work together for the good of those that love and fear God Rom. 8. And therefore whatever thou findest in thy Soul though it be sin of never so black a Soul-scaring nature let it move thee to run the faster to the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt not be ashamed that is of thy running to him But secondly When thou
THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAW and GRACE UNFOLDED OR A Discourse touching the Law and Grace The nature of the one and the nature of the other shewing what they are as they are the two Covenants and likewise who they be and what their Conditions are that be under either of these two Covenants WHEREIN For the better Understanding of the Reader there is several Questions answered touching the Law and Grace very easie to be read and as easie to be understood by those that are the Sons of Wisdom the Children of the second Covenant ALSO Several Titles set over the several Truths contained in this Book for thy sooner finding of them which are those following the Epistle Published by that Poor and Contemptible Creature John Bunyan of Bedford The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by the which we draw nigh to God Heb. 7. 19. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. To him therefore that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Rom. 4. 5. LONDON Printed for Nath. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultry 1685. The Epistle to the Reader Reader IF at any time there be held forth by the Preacher the freeness and fulness of the Gospel together with the readiness of the Lord of Peace to receive those that have any desire thereto presently it is the spirit of the World to cry out Sure this man disdains the Law slights the Law and counts that of none effect and all because there is not together with the Gospel mingled the Doctrine of the Law which is not a right dispensing of the Word according to truth and knowledge Again if there be the terror horror and severity of the Law discovered to a People by the Servants of Jesus Christ though they do not speak of it to the end People should trust to it by relying on it as it is a Covenant of Works but rather that they should be driven further from that Covenant even to embrace the tenders and priviledges of the second yet poor Souls because they are unacquainted with the natures of these two Covenants or either of them therefore say they here is nothing but preaching of the Law thundering of the Law when alas if these two be not held forth to wit the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace together with the nature of the one and the nature of the other Souls will never be able neither to know what they are by Nature nor what they lie under Also neither can they understand what Grace is nor how to come from under the Law to meet God in and through that other most glorious Covenant through which and only through which God can communicate of himself grace Glory yea even all the good things of another World I having considered these things together with others have made bold to present yet once more to thy view my Friend something of the mind of God to the end if it shall be but blessed to thee thou mayest be benefited thereby For verily these things are not such as are ordinary and of small concernment but do absolutely concern thee to know and that experimentally too if ever thou do partake of the glory of God through Jesus Christ and so escape the terrour and unsupportable vengeance that will otherwise come upon thee through his Justice because of thy living and dying in thy Transgressions against the Law of God And therefore while thou livest here below it is thy duty if thou wish thy self happy for the time to come to give up thy self to the studying of these two Covenants treated of in the ensuing Discourse and so to study them untill thou through grace do not only get the notion of the one and of the other in thy head but untill thou do feel the very power life and glory of the one and of the other For take this for granted he that is dark as touching the scope intent and nature of the Law is also dark as to the scope nature and glory of the Gospel And also he that hath but a notion of the one will hardly have any more than a notion of the other And the reason is this because so long as People are ignorant of the nature of the Law and of their being under it that is under the curse and condemning power of it by reason of their sin against it so long they will be careless and negligent as to the enquiring after the true knowledge of the Gospel Before the Commandement came that is in the spirituality of it Paul was alive that is thought himself safe which is clear Rom. 7. 9 10. compared with the 3. of Phil. the 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. ver c. But vvhen that came and vvas indeed discovered unto him by the Spirit of the Lord then Paul dies Rom. 7. to all his former life Phil. 3. and that man vvhich before could content himself to live though ignorant of the Gospel cryes out novv I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord ver 8. Therefore I say so long they vvill be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel and hovv glorious a thing it is to be found vvithin the bounds of it for we use to say That man that knoweth not himself to be sick that man will not look out for himself a Physician and this Christ knew full well where he saith The whole have no need of a Physician but them that are sick that is none will in truth desire the Physician unless they know they be sick That man also that hath got but a notion of the Law a notion that is the Knowledge of it in the Head so as to discourse and talk of it if he hath not felt the power of it and that effectually too he it is to be feared will at the best be but a Notionest in the Gospel he will not have the experimental Knowledge of the same in his Heart nay he will not seek nor heartily desire after it and all because as I said before he hath not Experience of the wounding cutting killing nature of the other I say therefore if thou wouldest know the Authority and Power of the Gospel labour first to know the Power and Authority of the Law for I am verily persuaded that the want of this one thing namely the Knowledge of the Law is one cause why so many are ignorant of the other That man that doth not know the Law doth not know indeed and in truth that he is a Sinner and that man that doth not know he is a Sinner doth not know savingly that there is a Saviour Again That man that doth not know the nature of the Law that man doth not know the nature of Sin and that man that knoweth not the nature of Sin will not regard to know
the nature of a Saviour This is proved John 8. 31 32 33 34 35 36. ver This People were Professors and yet did not knovv the Truth the Gospel and the reason was because they did not knovv themselves and so not the Lavv. I vvould not have thee mistake me Christian Reader I do not say that the Lavv of it self vvill lead any Soul to Jesus Christ but the Soul being killed by the Lavv through the operation of its severity seizing on the Soul then the man if he be enlightened by the Spirit of Christ to see vvhere Remedy is to be had vvill not through Grace be contented vvithout the real and saving Knovvledge through Faith of him If thou vvouldest then vvash thy Face clean first take a Glass and see vvhere it is dirty that is If thou vvould'st indeed have thy Sins vvashed avvay by the Blood of Christ labour first to see them in the Glass of the Lavv Jam. 1. and do not be afraid to see thy besmeared Condition but look on every Spot thou hast for he that looks on the foulness of his Face by the halfs vvill vvash by the halfs even so he that looks on his Sins by the halfs he vvill seek for Christ by the halfs Reckon thy self therefore I say the biggest Sinner in the World and be persuaded that there is none vvorse than thy self then let the Guilt of it seize on thy Heart then also go in that case and condition to Jesus Christ and plunge thy self into his Merits and the vertue of his Blood and after that thou shalt speak of the things of the Lavv and of the Gospel experimentally and the very Language of the Children of God shall seelingly drop from thy Lips and not till then Let this therefore learn thee thus much He that hath not seen his lost Condition hath not seen a safe Condition he that did never see himself in the Devils Snare did never see himself in Christ's Bosom This my Son was dead and is alive again Was lost and is found with whom we all had our Conversation in time past But now are so many of us as believe returned to Jesus Christ the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls I say therefore if thou do find in this Treatise in the first place something touching the Nature End and extent of the Lavv do not thou cry out therefore all on a sudden saying Here is nothing but the Terror Horror and thundering Sentences of the Lavv. Again If thou do find in the second part of this Discourse something of the freeness and fullness of the Gospel do not thou say then neither here is nothing but Grace therefore surely an under valuing of the Lavv. No but read it quite thorovv and so consider of it and I hope thou shalt find the tvvo Covenants vvhich all men are under either the one or the other discovered and held forth in their Natures Ends Bounds together vvith the state and condition of them that are under the one and of them that are under the other There be some that through Ignorance do say hovv that such men as preach Terror and Amazement to Sinners are besides the Book and are Ministers of the Letter the Law and not of the Spirit the Gospel but I would answer them citing them to the 16. of Luke from the nineteenth Verse to the end and the 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. and Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 3. from the ninth Verse to the nineteenth only this Caution I would give by the way how that they which preach Terror to drive Souls to the obtaining of Salvation by the Works of the Law that preaching is not the right Gospel-preaching Yet when Saints speak of the sad state that men are in by Nature to discover to Souls their need of the Gospel this is honest preaching see Romans 3. the 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 c. and he that doth do so he doth the Work of a Gospel-Minister Again there are others that say because we do preach the free full and exceeding Grace discovered in the Gospel therefore we make void the Law which indeed unless the Gospel be held forth in the Glory thereof without Confusion by mingling the Covenant of Works therewith the Law cannot be established Do we through Faith or preaching of the Gospel make void the Law Nay stay saith Paul God forbid We do thereby establish the Law Rom. 3. 31. And verily he that will indeed establish the Law or set it in its own place for so I understand the Words must be sure to hold forth the Gospel in its right colour and nature for if a man be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace they or he will be very apt to remove the Law out of its place and that because they are ignorant not knowing what they say nor whereof they affirm And let me tell you if a man be ignorant of the Covenant of Grace and the bounds and boundlesness of the Gospel though he speaks and makes mention of the Name of the Father and of the Son and also of the Name of the New Covenant and the Blood of Christ yet at this very time and in these very Words he will preach nothing but the Law and that as a Covenant of Works Reader I must confess it is a wonderful mysterious thing and he had need have a wiser Spirit than his own that can rightly set these two Covenants in their right places that when he speaks of the one he doth not justle the other out of its place O to be so well enlightned as to speak of the one that is the Law for to magnifie the Gospel and also to speak of the Gospel so as to establish and yet not to idolize the Law nor any particular thereof it is rare and to be heard and found but in very few mens Breasts If thou should'st say what is it to speak to each of these two Covenants so as to set them in their right places and also to use the terror of the one so as to magnifie and advance the Glory of the other To this I shall answer also read the ensuing Discourse but with an understanding Heart and it is like thou wilt find a Reply therein to the same purpose which may be to thy satisfaction Reader if thou do find this Book empty of fantastical Expressions and without light vain whimsical Scholar-like terms thou must understand it is because I never went to School to Aristotle or Plato but was brought up at my Father's House in a very mean condition among a Company of poor Country-men But if thou do find a parcel of plain yet sound true and home Sayings attribute that to the Lord Jesus his Gifts and Abilities which he hath bestowed upon such a poor Creature as I am and have been And if thou being a seeing Christian dost find me coming short though rightly touching at some things
attribute that either to my Brevity or if thou wilt to my Weaknesses for I am full of them A word or two more and so I shall have done with this And the first is Friend if thou do not desire the Salvation of thy Soul yet I pray thee to read this Book over with serious Consideration it may be it will stir up in thee some desires to look out after it which at present thou mayest be without Secondly if thou do find any stirrings in thy Heart by thy reading such an unworthy man's Works as mine are be sure that in the first place thou give Glory to God and give way to thy Convictions and be not too hasty in getting them off from thy Conscience but let them so work till thou do see thy self by nature void of all Grace as Faith Hope Knowledge of God Christ and the Covenant of Grace Thirdly then in the next place fly in all haste to Jesus Christ thou being sensible of thy lost Condition without him secretly perswading of thy Soul that Jesus Christ standeth open armed to receive thee to wash away thy Sins to cloath thee with his Righteousness and is willing yea heartily willing to present thee before the Presence of the Glory of God and among the innumerable Company of Angels with exceeding Joy This being thus in the next place do not satisfie thy self with these secret and first Perswasions which do or may encourage thee to come to Jesus Christ but be restless till thou do find by blessed experience the glorious Glory of this the second Covenant extended unto thee and sealed upon thy Soul with the very Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that thou mayest not slight this my Counsel I beseech thee in the second place consider these following things First if thou do get off thy Convictions and not the right way which is by seeing thy Sins washed away by the Blood of Jesus Christ it is a question whether ever God will knock at thy Heart again or no but rather say Such a one is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos. 4. 17. Though he be in a natural state let him alone Though he be in or under the Curse of the Law let him alone Though he be in the very hand of the Devil let him alone Though he be a going post-haste to Hell let him alone Though his Damnation will not only be Damnation for Sins against the Law but also for slighting the Gospel yet let him alone My Spirit my Ministers my Word my Grace my Mercy my Love my Pity my common Providences shall no more strive with him let him alone O sad O miserable who would slight Convictions that are on their Souls which tend so much for their good Secondly if thou shalt not regard how thou do put off Convictions but put them off without the precious Blood of Christ being savingly applied to thy Soul thou art sure to have the mispending of that Conviction to prove the hardning of thy Heart against the next time thou art to hear the Word preached or read This is commonly seen that those Souls that have not regarded those Convictions that are at first set upon their Spirits do commonly and that by the just Judgments of God upon them grow more hard more sensless more feared and sottish in their Spirits for some who formerly would quake and weep and relent under the hearing of the Word do now for the present sit so sensless so feared and hardned in their Consciences that certainly if they should have Hell-fire thrown in their Faces as it is sometimes cried up in their Ears they would scarce be moved and this comes upon them as a just Judgment of God 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. Thirdly if thou do slight these or those Convictions that may be set upon thy Heart by reading of this Discourse or hearing of any other good man preach the Word of God sincerely thou wilt have the stifling of these or those Convictions to account and answer for at the Day of Judgment not only thy Sins that are commonly committed by thee in thy Calling and common Discourse but thou shalt be called to a reckoning for slighting Convictions disregarding of Convictions which God useth as a special means to make poor Sinners see their lost Condition and the need of a Saviour Now here I might add many more Considerations besides these to the end thou mayest be willing to tend and listen to Convictions as First consider thou hast a precious Soul more worth than the whole World and this is commonly worked upon if ever it be saved by Convictions Secondly this Soul is for certain to go to Hell if thou shalt be a slighter of Convictions Thirdly if that go to Hell thy Body must go thither too and then never to come out again Now consider this you that are apt to forget God and his Convictions lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. 22. But if thou shalt be such a one that shalt notwithstanding thy reading of thy Misery and also of God's Mercy still persist to go on in thy Sins know in the first place that here thou shalt be left by the things that thou readest without excuse and in the World to come thy Damnation will be exceedingly aggravated for thy not regarding of them and turning from thy Sins which was not only reproved by them but also for rejecting of that Word of Grace that did instruct thee how and which way thou should'st be saved from them And so farewel I shall leave thee and also this Discourse to God who I know will pass a righteous Judgment both upon that and thee I am yours though not to serve your Lusts and filthy minds yet to reprove instruct and according to that proportion of Faith and Knowledge which God hath given me to declare unto you the way of Life and Salvation Your Judgings Railings Surmizings and disdaining of me that I shall leave till the fiery Judgment comes in which the Ostender shall not go unpunished be he you or me yet I shall pray for you wish well to you and do you what good I can And that I might not write or speak in vain Christian pray for me to our God with much Earnestness Fervency and frequently in all your Knocking 's at our Fathers door because I do very much stand in need thereof for my Work is great my Heart is vile the Devil lieth at watch the World would fain be saying aha aha thus we would have it and of my self keep my self I cannot trust my self I dare not if God do not help me I am sure it will not be long before my Heart deceive me and the World have their Advantage of me and so God be dishonoured by me and thou also ashamed to own me O therefore be much in Prayer for me thy Fellow I trust in that glorious Grace that is conveyed from Heaven to Sinners by which they are
continueth not in all things that continueth not in all things mark that which are written in the Book of the Law to do them but if a man do keep all the Law of God his whole life time only sin one time before he dies that one sin is a breach of the Law and he hath not continued in doing the things contained therein For for to continue according to the sense of this Scripture is to hold on without any failing either in thought word or deed therefore I say though a man do walk up to the Law all his life time but only at the very last sin one time before he die he is sure to perish for ever dying under that Covenant For my Friends you must understand that the Law of God is yea as well as the Gospel and as they that are under the Covenant of Grace shall surely be saved by it so even so they that are under the Covenant of Works and the Law they shall surely be damned by it if continuing there This is the Covenant of Works and the nature of it Namely not to bate any thing no not a mite to him that lives and dies under it I tell thee saith Christ thou shalt not depart thence that is from under the Curse till thou hast paid the very last mite Luke 12. 59. 5. Again you must consider that this Law doth only condemn words and actions as I said before but it hath authority to condemn the most secret thought of the heart being evil so that if thou do not speak any word that is evil as swearing lying jesting dissembling or any other word that tendeth to or savoureth of sin yet if there should chance to pass but one vain thought thorow thy heart but once in all thy life time the Law taketh hold of it accuseth and also will condemn thee for it You may see one instance for all in the fifth of Matthew at the 27 28. verses where Christ saith That though a man do not lie with a woman carnally yet if he do but look on her and in his heart lust after her he is counted by the Law being rightly expounded such a one that hath committed the sin and thereby hath laid himself under the condemnation of the Law And so likewise of all the rest of the commands if there be any thought that is evil do but pass thorow thy heart whether it be against God or against man in the least measure though possibly not discerned of thee or by thee yet the Law takes hold of thee therefore and doth by its authority both cast condemn and execute thee for thy so doing The thought of wickedness is sin Prov. 6. Again the Law is of that nature and severity that it doth not only enquire into the generallty of thy life as touching several things whether thou art upright there or no but the Law doth also follow thee into all thy holy duties and watcheth over thee there to see whether thou doest do all things aright there that is to say whether when thou doest pray thy heart hath no wandring thoughts in it whether thou do every holy duty thou doest perfectly without the least mixture of sin and if it do find thee to slip or in the least measure to fail in any holy duty that thou doest perform the Law taketh hold on that and findeth fault with that so as to render all the holy duties that ever thou didst unavailable because of that I say if when thou art a hearing there is out one vain thought or in praying but one vain thought or in any other thing whatsoever let it be civil or spiritual one vain thought once in all thy life time will cause the Law to take such hold on it that for that one thing it doth even set open all the Flood gates of Gods wrath against thee and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—bly by that Covenant it doth bring eternal vengeance upon thee So that I say look which ways thou wilt and fail wherein thou wilt and do it as seldom as ever thou caâ—sto either in civil or spiritual things as aforesaid that is either in the service of God or in thy employments in the world as thy trade or calling either in buying or selling any way in any thing whatsoever I say if in any particular it findeth thee tardy or in the least measure guilty it calleth thee an offender 〈◊〉 accuseth thee to God it puts a stop to all the promises thereof that are joyned to the Law and leaves thee there as a cursed transgressor against God and a destroyer of thy own soul. Here I would have thee by the way for to take notice that it is not my intent at this time to inlarge on the several Commands in particular for that would be very me to write and thee to read only thus much I would have thee to do at the reading hereof make a pause and sit still one quarter of an hour and muse a little in thy mind thus with thy self and say Did I ever break the Law yea or no had I ever in all my life time one sinful thought passed thorough my heart since I was born yea or no and if thou findest thy self guilty as I am sure thou canst not otherwise choose but do unless thou shut thy eyes against thy every days practice then I say conclude thy self guilty of the breach of the first Covenant And when that this is done be sure in the next place thou do not straightway forget it and put it out of thy mind that thou art condemned by the same Covenant and then do not content thy self until thou do find that God hath sent thee a pardon from Heaven through the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator of the second Covenant And if God shall but give thee a heart to take this my counsel I do make no question but these words spoken by me will prove an instrument for the directing of thy heart to the right remedy for the salvation of thy soul. Thus much now touching the Law and the severity of it upon the person that is found under it having offended or broken any particular of it either in thought word or action and now before I do proceed to the next thing I shall answer four objections that do he in my way and also such as do stumble most part of the world The first Objection And first but you will say methinks you speak very harsh it is enough to daunt a body set the case therefore that a man after he hath sinned and broken the Law repenteth of his wickedness and promiseth to do so no more Will not God have mercy then and save a poor sinner then 1. Answ. I told you before that the Covenant once broken will execute upon the offender that which it doth threaten to lay upon him and as for your supposing that your repenting and promising to do so no more may help well and put you
upon them therefore saith the Apostle What things soever the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that is all the commands all the curses and threatnings that are spoken by it are spoken saith he that every mouth may be stopped mark I beseech you it saith saith he that every mouth might be stopped and that all the world might become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. So that now in case any in the judgment day should object against the judgment of God as those in the 25. of Matthew do saying Lord when saw we thee thus and thus And why dost thou pass such a sad sentence of condemnation upon us surely this is injustice and not equity Now for the preventing of this the Law was given I and that it might prevent thee to purpose God gave it betimes before either thy first father had sinned or thou wast born So that again if there should be these Objections offered against the proceedings of the Lord in justice and judgment saying Lord why am I thus condemned I did not know it was sin now against these two was the Law given and that betimes so that both these are answered If the first come in and say why am I judged why am I damned then will the Law come in even all the Ten Commandments with every one of their cries against thy soul the first saying he hath sinned against me damn him the second saying also he hath transgressed against me damn him the third also saying the same together with the 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. even all of them will discharge themselves against thy soul if thou die under the first Covenant saying he or they have transgressed against us damn them damn them and I tell thee also that these ten great guns the Ten Commandments will with discharging themselves in justice against thy soul so rattle in thy conscience that thou wilt in spight of thy teeth be immediately put to silence and have thy mouth stopped and let me tell thee further that if thou shalt appear before God to have the Ten Commandments discharge themselves against thee thou hadst better be tied to a tree and have ten yea ten thousand of the biggest pieces of Ordnance in the world to be shot off against thee for these could go no further but only to kill the body but they both body and soul to be tormented in Hell with the Devil to all eternity 3. Again if the second thing should be objected saying But Lord I did not think this had been sin or the other had been sin for no body told me so then also will the giving of the Law take off that saying nay but I was given to thy father Adam before he had sinned or before thou wast born and have ever since been in thy soul to convince thee of thy sins and to controul thee for doing the thing that was not right Did not I secretly tell thee at such a time in such a place when thou wast doing of such a thing with such a one or when thou wast all alone that this was a sin and that God did forbid it therefore if thou didst commit it God would be displeased with thee for it And when thou wast thinking to do such a thing at such a time did not I say forbear do not so God will smite thee and punish thee for it if thou doest do it And besides God did so order it that you had me in your Houses in your Bibles and also you could speak and talk of me thus pleading the truth thou shalt be forced to confess it is so nay it shall be so in some sort with the very Gentiles and barbarous People that fall far short of that light we have in these parts of the world for saith the Apostle The Gentiles which have not the Law these do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law that is not written as we have yet they are a Law unto themselves which sheweth the works of the Lavv is vvriten in their hearts Rom. 2. 14 15. that is they have the Law of works in them by nature and therefore they shall be left without excuse for their own consciences shall stand up for the truth of this where he saith Their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another I but when Why in the day vvhen God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2. 15 16. So this I say is another end for which the Lord did give the Law namely that God might pass a sentence in righteousness without being charged with any injustice by those that shall fall under it in the judgment 4. A fourth end why the Lord did give the Law it was because they that die out of Jesus Christ might not only have their mouths stopped but also that their persons might become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. and indeed this will be the ground of silencing as I said before they finding themselves guilty their consciences backing the truth of the judgment of God passed upon them they shall become guilty that is they shall be fit vessels for the wrath of God to be poured out into being filled with guilt by reason of transgressions against the Commandments thus therefore shall the parties under the first Covenant be fitted to destruction Rom. 9. 22. even as wood or straw being well dried is fitted for the fire and the Law was added and given and speaks to this very end that sins might be shewn mouths might be stopt from quarrelling And that all the vvorld mark the vvorld might become guilty before God and so be in justice for ever and ever overthrown because of their sins And this will be so for these reasons First Because God hath a time to magnifie his justice and holiness as well as to shew his forbearance and mercy We read in Scripture that his eyes are too pure to behold iniquity Hab 1. 13. and then we shall find it true We read in Scripture that he will magnifie the Law and make it honourable and then he will do it indeed Now because the Lord doth not strike so soon as he is provoked by sin therefore poor souls will not know nor regard the Justice of God neither do they consider the time in which it must be advanced which will be when men drop under the wrath of God as fast as hail in a mighty storm 2 Pet. 3. 9. Psal. 50. 21 22. Now therefore look to it all you that count the long-suffering and forbearance of Gods slackness and because for the present he keepeth silence therefore to think that he is like unto your selves No no but know that God hath his set time for every purpose of his and in its time it shall be advanced most marvellously to the everlasting astonishment and overthrow of that soul that shall be dealt withal by Justice
upon the house of Jehu Hos. 1. 4. Seventhly Men may hear and fear the servants of the Lord and reverence them very highly yea and when they 〈◊〉 they may not only hear but hear and do and that gladly too not one or two things but many mark many things gladly and yet be lost and yet be damned see Mar 6. 20. For Herod feared John why not because he had any civil power over him but because he was a just man and holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly it may be that thou thinkest that because thou hearest such and such therefore thou art better than thy neighbours but know for certain that thou mayest not only hear but thou mayest hear and do and that not with a backward will but gladly mark gladly and yet be Herod still an enemy to the Lord Jesus still consider this I pray you 2. But Secondly To the second thing which is this How far may such a one go to what may such a one attain whither may he arrive and yet be an undone man under this Covenant Answ. First Such a one may be received into fellowship with the Saints as they are in a visible way of walking one with another they may walk hand in hand together see Mat. 25. 1. where he saith The Kingdom of Heaven that is a visible company of professors of Christ is likened to ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom five of them were wise and five were foolish These in the first place are called Virgins that is such as are clear from the pollutions of the world Secondly They are said to go forth that is from the rudiments and traditions of men Thirdly They do agree to take their lamps with them that is to profess themselves the Servants of Jesus Christ that wait upon him and for him and yet when he came he found half of them even them Virgins that had Lamps that also went forth from the pollutions of the world and the customs of men to be such as lost their precious souls see verse 10. which they should not have done had they been under the Covenant of Grace and so not under the Law Secondly They may attain to a great deal of honour in the said company of professors that which may be accounted honour in so much that they may be put in trust with Church Affairs and bear the bag as Judas did I speak not this to shame the Saints but being beloved I warn them yet I speak this on purpose that it might if the Lord will knock at the door of the souls of professors consider Demas Thirdly They may attain to speak of the word as Ministers and become preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in so much that the people where they dwell may even take up a Proverb concerning them saying Is he among the Prophets his gifts may be so rare his tongue may be so fluent and his matter may be so fit that he may speak with a tongue like an Angel and speak of the hidden mysteries yea of them all mark that 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. and yet be nothing and yet be none of the Lords anointed ones with the Spirit of grace savingly but may live and die under the Curse of the Law Fourthly They may go yet further they may have the gifts of the Spirit of God which may inable them to cast out Devils to remove the biggest Hills or Mountains in the World nay thou mayest be so gifted as to prephesie of things to come the most glorious things even the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign over all his enemies and yet be but a Balaam a wicked and a mad Prophet see 2 Pet. 2. 16. Numb 24. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. Fifthly they may not only stand thus for a while for a little season but they may stand thus till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with his holy Angels I and not be discovered of the Saints till that very day Then all those Virgins arose the wise and the foolish then when why when this voice was heard Behold the Bridegroom cometh go you out to meet him Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4 5 6. and yet was out of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet was under the Law Sixthly Nay further they may not only continue in a profession till then supposing themselves to be under the Grace of the Gospel when indeed they are under the Curse of the Law but even when the Bridegroom is come they may still be so confident of their state to be good that they will even reason out the case with Christ why they are not let into the Kingdom of glory saying Lord Lord have we not eaten and drunk in thy presence and hast not thou taught in our streets Nay further Have not we taught in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils nay not only this but done many mark we have done many wonderful works nay further they were so confident that they commanded in a commanding way saying Lord open to us See here I beseech you how far these went they thought they had had intimate acquaintance with Jesus Christ they thought he could not chuse but save them they had eat and drunk with him sat at the table with him received power from him executed the same power In thy Name have we done thus and thus even wrought many wonderful works see Mat. 7. 22. Luke 13. 25 26. And yet these poor creatures was shut out of the Kingdom O consider this I beseech you before it be too late lest you say Lord let us come in when Christ saith thrust him out verse 28. Hears you cry Lord open to us when he saith Depart I know you not lest though you think of having joy you have weeping and gnashing of teeth 3. But Thirdly The third thing touched in the question was this What may such a one receive of God who is under the Curse of the Law First They may receive an answer to their Prayers from God at sometimes for some things as they do stand in need of I find in Scripture that God did hear these persons that the Apostle saith was cast out see Gen. 21. 17. And God heard the voice of the Lad even of cast out Ishmael And the Angel of the Lord called to Hagar out of Heaven which was the bond woman and under the Law Gal. 4. 30. and said unto her Fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Friends It may be you may think because you have your prayers answered in some particular things therefore you may suppose that as to your eternal state your condition is very good But you must know that God doth hear the cry of a company of Ishmaelites the sons of the Bond-Woman who are under the Law as a Covenant of Works I do not say he hears them as
to their eternal state but he heareth them as to several streights that they go through in this life I and gives them case and liberty from their trouble Here this poor wretch was almost perished for a little water and he cryed and God heard him yea he heard him out of Heaven Read also the 107 Psalm 23. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Psal. 106. 15. He gave them their desire and sent leanness to their souls But some may say methinks this is yet more strange that God should hear the Prayers the cries of those that are under the Law and answered them Answ. I told you before he doth not hear them as to their eternal state but as to their temporal state For God as their Creator hath a care of them and causeth the sun to shine upon them and the rain to distill upon their substance Mat. 5. 45. Nay he doth give the Beasts in the field their appointed food and doth hear the young Ravens when they cry Psal. 147. 9. which are far inferiour to man I say therefore that God doth hear the cries of his Creatures and doth answer them too though not as to their eternal state but may damn them nevertheless when they die for all that Secondly They may receive promises from the mouth of the Lord. There are many that have had promises made to them by the Lord in a most eminent manner and yet as I said before are such as are cast out and called the Children of the Bond-woman which is the Law see Gen. 21. 17 18. And the Angel of the Lord called out of Heaven to Hagar that was the Bond-woman saying fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Arise lift up the Lad and hold him in thine hand FOR I WILL MAKE OF HIM mark there is the promise For I will make of him of the son of the Bond-woman a great Nation Thirdly Nay they may go further for they may receive another heart than they had before and yet be under the Law There is no man I think but those that do not know what they say that will think or say that Saul was under the Covenant of Grace yet after he had talked with Samuel and had turned his back to go from him saith the Scripture God gave him another heart 1 Sam. 10. 9. another heart mark that and yet an out-cast a rejected person 1 Sam. 15. 26 29. Friends I beseech you let not these things offend you but let them rather beget in your hearts an enquiring into the truth of your condition and be willing to be searched to the bottom and also that every thing which hath not been planted by the Lords right hand may be rejected and that there may be a reaching after better things even the things that will not only make thy soul think thy state is good now but that thou mayest be able to look sin death hell the curse of the Law together with the Judge in the face with comfort having such a real sound effectual work of God Grace in thy soul that when thou hearest the Trumpet sound seest the graves flie open and the dead come creeping forth out of their holes when thou shalt see the Judgment set the books opened and all the world standing before the Judgment seat I say that then thou mayest stand and have that blessed sentence spoken to thy soul Come ye blessed of my Father wherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the Foundation of the World Mat. 25. 34. Object But you wil say for all this we cannot believe that we are under the Law for these reasons As first because we have found a change in our hearts Secondly Because we do deny that the Covenant of Works will save any Thirdly Because for our parts we judge our selves far from legal principles for we are got up into as perfect a Gospel order as to matter of practice and discipline in Church Affairs as any this day in England as we judge Answ. First That mans belief that is grounded upon any thing done in him or by him only that mans belief is not grounded upon the death burial resurrection ascension and intercession of Jesus Christ for that man that hath indeed good ground of his eternal salvation his faith is settled upon that object which God is well pleased or satisfied withal which is that man that was born of Mary even her first-born Son that is he doth apply by faith to his soul the vertues of his death blood righteousness c. and doth look for satisfaction of soul no where else then from that neither doth the soul seek to give God any satisfaction as to justification any other ways but doth willingly and chearfully accept of and embrace the vertues of Christs death together with the rest of his things done by himself on the Cross as a Sacrifice and since also as a Priest Advocate Mediator c. And doth so really and effectually receive the glories of the same That thereby mark that thereby he is changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Thus in general but yet more particular First To think that your condition is good because there is some change in you from a loose prophane life to a more close honest and civil life and conversation I say to think this testimony sufficient for to ground the stress of thy salvation upon is very dangerous First Because such a soul doth not only lay the stress of its salvation besides the man Christ Jesus that died upon the Cross But Secondly Because that his confidence is not grounded upon the Saviour of sinners but upon his turning from gross sins to a more refined life and it may be to the performance of some good duties which is no Saviour I say this is very dangerous therefore read it and the Lord help you to understand it for unless you lay the whole stress of the salvation of your souls upon the merits of another man namely Jesus and that by what he did do and is a doing without you for certain as sure as God is in Heaven your souls will perish And this must not be notionally neither as with an assenting of the understanding only but it must be by the wonderful invisible invincible power of the Almighty God working in your souls by his Spirit such a real saving holy saith that can through the operation of the same Spirit by which it is wrought lay hold on and apply these most heavenly most excellent most meritorious benefits of the man Christ Jesus not only to your heads and fancles but to your very souls and consciences so effectually that you may be able by the same faith to challenge the power madness malice rage and destroying nature either of sin the Law death the Devil together with hell and all other evils throwing your souls upon the death burial resurrection and intercession of that man Jesus without Rom. 8 32
33 34 35 36 37 38 39. But Secondly Do you think that there was no change in the five foolish Virgins spoken of in Mat. 25. 1 2 3. Yes there was such a change in them very people that the five wise ones could give them admittance of walking with them in the most purer ways and institutions of the Gospel of Christ and yet but foolish nay they walked with them or shall walk with them until the Lord Jesus Christ shall break down from Heaven and yet but foolish Virgins and yet but under the Law and so under the Curse as I said before Object But say you we have disowned the Covenant of Works and turned from that also Answ. This is sooner said than done Alas alass poor souls think because they can say grace grace it is freely by grace therefore they are under the Covenant of Grace A very wide mistake you must understand thus much that though you be such as can speak of the Grace of the Gospel yet if you your selves be not brought under the very Covenant of Grace you are yet notwithstanding your talk and profession very far wide of a sense and of a share in the Covenant of the Grace of God held forth in the Gospel The Jews were men of a clearer understanding many of them then to conclude that the Law and only the Law was the way to salvation for they even they that received not the Christ of God did expect a Saviour should come John 7. 27 41 42 43. but they were men that had not that Gospel Spirit which alone is able to lead them to the very life marrow or substance of the Gospel in right terms and so being muddy in their understandings being between the thoughts of a Saviour and the thoughts of the Works of the Law thinking that they must be accomplished for the obtaining of a Saviour and his mercy towards them I say between these they fell short of a Saviour As many poor souls in these days they think they must be saved alone by the Saviour yet they think there is something to be done on their parts for the obtaining of the good will of the Saviour as their humiliation for sin their turning from the same their promises and vows and resolutions to become a new man joyn in Church-fellowship and what not and thus they bringing this along with them as a means to help them they fall short of eternal salvation if they convert not see that Scripture Rom. 9. 30 31 32. The Apostle saith there that they that sought not did obtain when they that did seek fell short What shall we say then saith he that the Gentiles which sought not after righteousness have attained to righteousness yea even the righteousness of faith and what else Why But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness have not attained to the Law of righteousness how came that to pass because saith he they sought it not by saith but as it were mark he doth not say altogether no but it were that is because as they sought they did a little by the by lean upon the Works of the Law And let me tell you that this is such a hard thing to beat men off of that though Paul himself did take the work in hand he did find enough to do touching it How is he saint to labour in the ten first Chapters of his Epistle to the Romans for the establishing of those that did even profess largely in the Doctrine of Grace And also in that Epistle to the Galatians and yet lost many do what he could Now the reason why the Doctrine of Grace doth so hardly down even with professors in truth effectually it is because there is a principle naturally in man that doth argue against the same and that thus why saith the soul I am a sinner and God is righteous holy and just his holy Law therefore having been broken by me I must by all means if ever I look to be saved In the first place be sorry for my sins Secondly Turn from the same Thirdly Follow after good duties and practise the good things of the Law and ordinances of the Gospel and so hope that God for Christs sake may forgive all my sins which is not the way to God as a Father in Christ but the way the very way to come to God by the Covenant of Works or the Law which things I shall more fully clear when I speak to the second doctrine Again therefore those that this day profess the Gospel for the generality of them they are such that notwithstanding their professien they are very ignorant of that glorious influence and Iâ—stre of the same I say they are ignorant of the vertue and efficacy of the glorious things of Christ held forth by and in the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 3. which doth argue their not being under the Covenant of Grace but rather under the Law or old Covenant As for instance If you do come among some professors of the Gospel in general you shall have them pretty busie and ripe also able to hold you in a very large discourse in several points of the same glorious Gospel but if you come to the same people and ask them concerning heart-work or what work the Gospel hath wrought on them and what appearance they have had of the sweet influences and vertues on their souls and consciences it may be they will give you such an answer as this I do find by the preaching thereof that I am changed and turned from my sins in a good measure and also have learned to distinguish between the Law and the Gospel so that for the one that is for the Gospel I can plead and also can shew the weakness and unprofitableness of the other and thus far it is like they may go which is not far enough to prove them under the Covenant of Grace though they may have their tongues so largely tipt with the profession of the same see 2 Pet. 2. 20. where he saith For if after they have escaped the pollutious of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which was not a saving knowledge they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end of that man is worse than his beginning See also Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4 c. and also Mat. 7. 22. Object But you will say is not this a fair declaring of the Work of Grace or doth it not discover that without all gain-saying we are under the Covenant of Grace when we are able not only to speak of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ but also to tell and that by experience that we have been changed from worse to better from sin to a holy life by leaving of the same and that by hearing of the Word preached Ans. A man may in the first place be able to talk of all the mysteries of the Gospel and that like an Angel of God and yet be no more
in Gods account than the sounding of a Drum Brass or the tinkling of a Cimball which are things that notwithstanding their sound and great noise are absolutely void of life and motion and so are accounted with God as nothing that is no Christians no Believers not under the Covenant of Grace for all that See 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. Secondly Men may not only do this but may also be changed in reality for a season from what they formerly were and yet be nothing at all in the Lords account as to an eternal blessing Read 2 Pet. 2. 20. the Scripture which I mentioned before for indeed that one Scripture is enough to prove all that I desire to say as to this very thing for if you observe there is enfolded therein these following things first that reprobates may attain to a knowledge of Christ. Secondly This knowledge may be of such weight and force that for the present it may make them escape the pollutions of the world and this by hearing the Gospel For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowled 〈◊〉 of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the last end of that man is worse than his beginning Now that they are Reprobates Dogs or Sows Read further But saith he it is happenened to them according to the true proverb the Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire verse 21. 22. But say you our practices in the worship of God shall testifie for us that we are not under the Law for we have by Gods goodness attained to as exact a way of walking in the ordinances of God and as near the examples of the Apostles as ever any Churches since the primitive time as we judge Answ. What then do you think that the walking in the order of the Churches of old as to matter of outward worship is sufficient to clear you of your sins at the judgment day or do you think that God will be contented with a little bodily subjection to that which shall vanish and fade like a flower when the Lord shall come from Heaven in flaming fire with his mighty Angels 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. Alas alis how will such professors as these are fall before the Judgment-seat of Christ then such a question as this Friend how camest thou in hither not having on thy wedding garment will make them be speechless and fall down into everlasting burnings thousands on a heap for you must know that it is not then your crying Lord Lord that will stand you in stead nor your saying We have eat and drunk in thy presence that will keep you from standing on the left hand of Christ. It is the principle as well as the practice that shall be enquired into at that day Quest. The principle you will say what do you mean by that Answ. My meaning is the Lord Jesus Christ will then enquire and examine whether the Spirit from which you acted was Legal or Evangelical that is whether it was the spirit of adoption that did draw you out to the thing you took in hand or a meer moral principle together with some shallow and common illuminations into the outward way of the Worship of God according to Gospel rule Quest. But you will say its like how should this be made manifest and appear Answ. I shall speak briefly in answer hereunto as followeth First then that man that doth take up any of the ordinances of God namely as Prayer Baptism breaking of Bread Reading Hearing Alms-deeds or the like I say he that doth practice any of these or such like supposing thereby to procure the love of Christ to his own soul he doth do what he doth from a Legal and not from an Evangelical or Gospel Spirit as thus for a man to suppose that God will hear him for his Prayers sake for his Alms-sake for his Hamiliation sake or because he hath promised to make God amends hereafter whereas there is no such thing as a satisfaction to be made to God by our Prayers or whatever we can do I say there is no such way to have reconciliation with God in And so also for men to think because they are got into such and such an Ordinance and have crouded themselves into such and such a Society that therefore they have got pretty good shelter from the wrath of the Almighty when alas poor souls there is no such thing No but God will so set his face against such professors that his very looks will make them to tear their very flesh yea make them to wish would they had the biggest Mill-stone in the world hanged about their necks and they cast into the midst of the Sea For friends let me tell you though you can now content your selves without the holy harmless undefiled perfect righteousness of Christ yet there is a day a coming in which there is not one of you shall be saved but those that are and shall be found clothed with that righteousness God will say to ALL the rest Take them bind them hand and foot and cast them into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. for Christ will not say unto men in that day Come which of you made a profession of me and walked in Church-fellowship with my Saints no but then it shall be enquired into who hath the reality of the truth of grace wrought in their hearts and for certain he that misseth of that shall surely be cast into the lake of fire there to burn with the devils and damned men and women there to undergo the wrath of the eternal God and that not for a day a month a year but for ever for ever for ever and ever there is that which cutteth to the quick therefore look to it and consider now what you do and whereon you hang your souls for it is not every pin that will hold in the judgment nor every foundation that will be able to hold up the house against those mighty terrible souldrowning floods and destroying tempests which then will roar against the soul and body of a sinner Luke the 6. the three last verses and if the principle be rotten all will fall all will come to nothing Now the principle is this not to do things because we would be saved but to do them from this namely because we do really believe that we are and shall be saved but do not mistake me I do not say we should slight any holy duties God forbid but I say he that doth look for life because he doth do good duties he is under the Covenant of Works the Law let his duties be never so eminent so often so fervens so zealous I and I say as I said before that if any man or men or multitudes of people do get into never so high so eminent and clear
practices and Gospel-order as to Church-discipline if it be done to this end I have been speaking from this principle they must and shall have these sad things fall to their share which I have made mention of Object But you will say can a man use Gospel-ordinances with a Legal spirit Answ. Yes as easily as the Jews could use and practice circumcision though not the Moral or Ten Commandments For this I shall be bold to affirm that it is not the Commands of the New Testament administration that can keep a man from using of its self in a legal spirit for know this for certain that it is the principle not the command that makes the subjecter to the same either Legal or Evangelical and so his obedience from that command to be from Legal convictions or Evangelical principles Now herein the devil is wonderous subtle and crafty in suffering people to practice the ordinances and commands of the Gospel if they do but do them in a Legal spirit from a spirit of works for he knows then that if he can but get the soul to go on in such a spirit though they do never so many duties he shall hold them sure enough for he knows full well that thereby they do set up something in the room of or at the least to have some though but a little share with the Lord Jesus Christ in their salvation and if he can but get thee here he knows that he shall cause thee by thy depending a little upon the one and so thy whole dependance being not upon the other that is Christ and taking of him upon his own terms thou wilt fall short of life by Christ though thou do very much busie thyself in a suitable walking in an outward conformity to the several commands of the Lord Jesus Christ. And let me tell you plainly that I do verily believe that as Satan by his Instruments did draw many of the Galatians by Circumcision though I say it was none of the commands of the moral Law to be debtors to do upon pain of eternal damnation the whole of the moral Law So also Satan in the time of the Gospel doth use even the commands laid down in the Gospel some of them to bind the soul over to do the same Law the thing being done and walked in by and in the same spirit For as I said before it is not the obedience to the command that makes the subjecter thereto Evangelical or of a Gospel Spirit but contrariwise the principle that leads out the soul to the doing of the command that makes the persons that do thus practice any command together with the command by them practised either Legal or Evangelical As for instance prayer it is a Gospel command yet if he that prayes doth it in a Legal spirit he doth make that which in it self is a Gospel command an occasion of leading him into a Covenant of Works in as much as he doth it by and in that old Covenant spirit Again giving of Alms is a Gospel command yet if I do give Alms from a Legal principle the command to me is not Gospel but Legal and it binds me over as aforesaid to do the whole Law For he is not a Jew not a Christian that is one outwardly that is one only by an outward subjection to the ordinances of prayer hearing reading baptism breaking of bread c. But he is a Jew a Christian which is one inwardly who is rightly principled and practiseth the ordinances of the Lord from the leadings forth of the spirit of the Lord from a true and saving faith in the Lord Rom. 2. 28 29. Those men spoken of in the 7. of Matthew for certain for all their great declaration did not do what they did from a right Gospel Spirit for had they no question but the Lord would have said Well done good and faithful servants but in that the Lord Jesus doth turn them away into Hell notwithstanding their great profession of the Lord and of their doing in his name it is evident that notwithstanding all that they did do they were still under the Law and not under that Covenant as true believers are to wit the Covenant of Grace and if so then all their duties that they did of which they boasted before the Lord was not in and by a right Evangelical principle or Spirit Again saith the Apostle Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. but there are some that do even practise baptism breaking of bread together with other ordinances and yet are unbelievers therefore unbelievers doing these things they are not done in faith but sin now to do these things in sin or without the faith it is not to do things in an Evangelical or Gospel Spirit also they that do these things in a Legal spirit the very practising of them renders them not under the Law of Christ as head of his Church but the works they do are of so much contradiction to the Gospel of God or the Covenant of Grace that they that do them thus do even set up against the Covenant of Grace and the very performance of them is of such force that it is sufficient to drown them that are subjecters thereunto even under the Covenant of Works but this poor souls are not aware of and there is their misery Quest. But have you no other way to discover the things of the Gospel how they are done with a Legal principle but those you have already made meâ—tion of Answ. That thou mightest be indeed satisfied herein I shall shew you the very manner and way that a Legal or old Covenant converted professor bear with the terms doth take both in the beginning middle and the end of his doing of any duty or command or whatsoever it be that he doth do First He thinking this or that to be his duty and considering of the same he is also presently perswaded in his own conscience that God will not accept of him if he leave it undone he seeing that he is short of his duty as he supposeth while this is undone by him and also judging that God is angry with him until the thing be done he in the second place sets to the doing of the duty to the end he may be able to pacifie his conscience by doing of the same perswading of himself that now the Lord is pleased with him for doing of it Thirdly Having done it he contents himself sits down at his ease untill some further convictions of his duty to be done which when he seeth and knoweth he doth do it as aforesaid from the same principle as he did the former and so goeth on in his progress of profession This is to do things from a Legal principle and from an old Covenant spirit for thus runs that Covenant The man that doth these things shall live in them or by them Levit. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Gal. 3. 12. Rom. 10. 5. but more of this
in the use of this Doctrine Object But you will say by these words of yours you do seem to deny that there are conditional promises in the Gospel as is clear in that you strike at such practices as are conditional and commanded to be done upon the same Answ. The thing that I strike at is this that a man in or with a legal spirit should not â—ay cannot do any conditional command of the Gospel acceptable as to his eternal state because he doth it in an old Covenant spirit No man putteth new Wine into old Bottles but new Wine must have new Bottles a Gospel command must have a Gospel spirit or else the Wine will break the Bottles or the principle will break the command Object Then you do grant that there are conditional promises in the New Testament as in the moral Law or ten Commands Answ. Though this be true yet the conditional promises in the New Testament do not call to the same people in the same state of 〈◊〉 â—â—neracy to fulfill them upon the same conditions The Law and the Gospel being two distinct Covanaâ—â—s they are made in divâ—rs ways and the nature of the conditions also being not the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostle The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Law saith one thing and the righteousness of Faith 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ibeâ— Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the great condition in the 〈◊〉 is If you do these things you shall live by them but the condition even the greatest condition said down for a poor 〈◊〉 do as to salvation for it 〈◊〉 that we speak of is to believe that my 〈◊〉 be forgiven me for Jesus Christs sake without the works 〈◊〉 righteousness of the Law on my part to help forward Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not such the Apostle for salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on him that justifieth the â—â—godly his faith mark his faith is counted for righteousness So that we saith he 〈◊〉 that a man is justified by faith without mark again without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. But again there is never a condition in the Gospel that can be fulfilled by an unbelieveâ— and therefore whether there be conditions or whether there be none it makes no matter to thee who art without the Faith of Christ for it is unpossible for thee in that state to do them so at to be ever the better as to thy eternal state therefore lest thou shouldest 〈◊〉 thy soul upon the conditions laid down in the Gospel as thou wilt do if thou go about to do them only with a Legal spirit but I say to prevent this see if thou canst fulfill the first condition that is to believe that all thy sins are forgiven thee not for any condition that hath been or can be done by thee but meerly for the mans sake that did hang on Mount Calvary between two Thieves some sixteen hundred years ago and odd And I say see if thou caâ—st believe that at that time he did when he hanged on the Cross give full satisfaction for all thy sins before thou in thy person hadst committed ever a one I say see if thou canst believe this and take heed thou deceive not thy self with an historical notional or traditional acknowledgement of the same And Secondly See if thou canst so well fulfill this condition that the very vertue and efficacy that it â—hath on thy soul will ingage thee to fulfill those other conditions really in love to that man whom thou shouldest believe hath frankly and freely forgiven thee all without any condition acted by thee to move him thereto according to that saying in the 2 Cor. 5. 14. 15. and then thy doing will arise from a contrary principle than otherwse it will do that is then thou will not act and do because thou wouldest be accepted of God but because thou hast some good hope in thy heart that thou art accepted of him already and not on thine but wholly and alone upon another mans account for here runs the Gospel Spirit of Faith mark We believe and therefore speak So we believe and therefore do 2 Cor. 4. 13. Take heed therefore that you do not that you may believe but rather believe so effectually that you may do even all that Jesus doth require of you from a right principle even out of love to your dear Lord Jesus Christ which thing I shall speak to more fully by and by Object But what do you mean by those expressions Do not do that you may believe but believe so effectually that you may do Answ. When I say do not do that you may believe I mean do not think that any of the things that thou canst do will procure or purchase faith from God unto thy soul for that is still the old Covenant Spirit the Spirit of the Law to think to have it for thy doing They that are saved they are saved by Grace through faith and that not of themselves not for any thing that they can do for they are both the free gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Not of doing or of works lest any man should be proud and boast verse 9. Now some people be so ignorant as to think that God will give them Christ and so all the merits of his if they will be but vigilant and do something to please God that they may obtain him at his hands but let me tell them they may lose a thousand souls quickly if they had so many by going this way to work and yet be never the better for the Lord doth not give his Christ to 〈◊〉 upon such conditions but he doth give him freely that is without having respect to any thing that is in thee Rev. 22. 17 Isa 55. 1 2. To him that is a thirst will give he doth not say I will sell but I will give him the water of life freely Rev. 21. 6. Fow if Christ doth give it and that freely then he doth not sell it for any thing that is in the creature but Christ doth give himself as also doth his Father and that freely not because there is any thing in us or done by us that moves him thereunto If it were by doing then saith Paul Grace is not Grace seeing it is obtained By works but Grace is Grace and that is the reason it is given to men without their works Rom. 11. 6. And if it be by Grace that is if it be a free gift from God without any thing foreseen as done or to be done by the creature then it is not of works which is clear therefore it is grace without the works of the Law but if you say â—ay it is of something in the man done by him that moves God thereunto then you must conclude that either Grace is no Grace or else that Works are Grace and not Works Do but read with understanding Rom. 11. 6. Now before I go any further it may be necessary to speak a word or two to some poor souls that are willing to
by the Law but by imputation and is really the righteousness of another namely of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 3. 8 9 10. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ which is unto all and upon all that is imputed to them that believe Rom. 3. 22. But if they were under the Old Covenant the Covenant of Works then their righteousness must be their own or no forgiveness of sins If thou do well shalt not thou be accepted but if thou transgress sin lieth at the door saith the Law Gen. 4. 7. Fourthly In a word whatsoever they do receive whether it be conversion to God whether it be pardon of sin whether it be faith or hope whether it be righteousness whether it be strength whether it be the Spirit or the fruits thereof whether it be victory over sin death or hell whether it be heaven everlasting life and glory unexpressible or whatsoever it be it comes to them freely God having no first eye to what they would do or should do for the obtaining of the same But to take this in pieces 1. In a word are they converted God finds them first for saith he I am found of them that sought me not Isa. 65. 1. 2. Have they pardon of sin They have that also freely I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely Hos. 14. 4. 3. Have they faith It is the gift of God in Christ Jesus and he is not only the author that is the beginner thereof but he doth also perfect the same Heb. 12. 2. 4. Have they hope It is God that is the first cause thereof Remember thy word unto thy servaut wherein THOU hast caused me to hope Psal. 119. 49. 5 Have they righteousness It is the free gift of God Rom. 5. 17. 6. Have they strength to do the work of God in their generations or any other thing that God would have them do that also is a free gift from the Lord for without him we neither do nor can do any thing John 15. 5. 7. Have we comfort or consolation We have it not for what we have done but from God through Christ for he is the God of all our comforts and consolations 2 Cor. 1. 8. Have we the spirit or the fruits thereof It is the gift of the Father How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. Thou hast wrought all our works for us Isa. 26. 12. And so I say whether it be victory over sin death hell or the devil it is given us by the victory of Christ But thanks be to God which hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 57. Rom. 7. 24 25. Heaven and glory it is also the gift of him who giveth his richly all things to enjoy Mat. 25. So that these things if they be duly and soberly considered will give satisfaction in this thing I might have aded many more for the clearing of these things At first when God came to man to convert him he found him a dead man Eph 2. 1 2. he found him an enemy to God Christ and the salvation of his own soul he found him wallowing in all manner of wickedness he found him taking pleasure therein with all delight and greediness 2. He was fain to quicken him by putting his Spirit into him and to translate him by the mighty operation thereof 3. He was fain to reveal Christ Jesus unto him man being altogether senseless and ignorant of his blessed Jesus Mat. 11. 25 27. 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10. 4. He was fain to break the snare of the devil and to let poor man poor bound and fettered man out of the chains of the enemy Now we are to proceed and the things that we are to treat upon in the second place are these First why it is a free and unchangeable grace Secondly Who they are that are actually brought into his free and unchangeable Covenant of Grace and how they are brought in Thirdly What are the priviledges of those that are actually brought into this free and glorious grace of the glorious God of heaven and glory For the first Why it is a free and unchangeable grace and for the opening of this we must consider First How and through whom this grace doth come to be first free to us and secondly unchangeable This grace is free to us through conditions in another that is by way of Convenant or Bargain for this Grace comes by way of Covenant or Bargain to us yet made with another for us First That it comes by way of Covenant Contract or Bargain though not personally with us be pleased to consider these Scriptures where it is said Psal. 89. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant And as for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant speaking of Christ have I sent forth the prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water Zech. 9. 9 10 11. Again You have sold your selves for nought and you shall be bought without money Ezek. 34. 23 24. Chap. 37. 24 25. Blessed be the Lord therefore saith Zacharias for he hath visited and also REDEEMED his people And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us To perform his mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant or Bargain Luke 1 68 69 70 71 72. And if any should be offended with the plainness of these words as some poor souls may be through ignorance let them be pleased to read soberly that 49. Chapter of the the Prophet Isaiah from the 1. verse to the 12. and there they may see that it runs as plain a Bargain as if two should be making of a Bargain between themselves and concluding upon several conditions on both sides But more of this hereafter Now secondly This Covenant I say was made with one not with many and also confirmed in the conditions of it with one not with several First That the Covenant was made with one see Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and to his seed was the promises made he saith not to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ ver 17. And this I say the Covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ c. The Covenant was made with the seed of Abraham not the seeds but the seed which is the Lord Jesus Christ our head and undertaker in the things concerning the Covenant 3. The condition was made with one and also accomplished by him alone and not by several yet in the nature and for the everlasting deliverance of many even by one man Jesus Christ as it is clear from
Rom. 5. 15 16 17 c. and in Zech 9. 11. the Lord saith to Christ And as for thee mark as for thee also by the blood of the Covenant or as for thee whose Covenant was by blood that is the conditions of the Covenant was that thou shouldest spill thy blood which having been done in the account of God saith he I according to my condition have let go the prisoners or sent them out of the pit wherein was no water those Scriptures in Galatians the 3. at the 16. and 17. verses that are above cited are notable to our purpose the sixteenth verse saith It was made with Christ and the seventeenth saith It was also confirmed in or with God in him pray read with understanding Now saith Paul the promises were not made unto seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. The Law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul that it should make the promise of none effect Not that the Covenant was with Abraham and Christ together as two persons that were the undertakers of the same the promise was made with or to Abraham afterwards but the Covenant with Christ before Further that the Covenant was not personally made with Abraham no nor with any of the Fathers neither so as that they were the persons that should stand ingaged to be the accomplishers thereof either in whole or in part which is very clear First Because this Covenant was not made with God and the creature not with another poor Adam that only stood upon the strength of natural abilities but this Covenant was made with the second person with the eternal Word of God with him that was every ways as holy as pure as infinite as powerful and as everlasting as God Prov. 22. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. Zech. 13. 7. Rev. 1. 11 17 22 13 16. Isa. 9. 6. Phil. 2. 6. Heb. 1. Secondly This Covenant or Bargain was made indeed and in truth before man was in being Oh! God thought of the salvation of man before there was any transgression of man for then I say and not since then was the Covenant of Grace made with the undertaker thereof for all the other sayings are to shew unto us that glorious plot and contrivance that was concluded on before time between the Father and the Son which may very well be concluded on for a truth from the Word of God if you consider First That the Scripture doth declare that the price was agreed on by the Son before time the promise was made to him by the Father that he should have his Bargain before time and the choice who they were that should be saved was made before time even before the world began For the First That the price was agreed upon before the World began Consider the word which speaketh of the price that was paid for sinners even The precious Blood of Christ It saith of him who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe c. 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. Mark it was fore-ordained or concluded on between the Father and his Son before the world began Secondly The promise from God to the Son was also made in the same manner as it is clear where the Apostle saith with comfort to his soul that he had hopes of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began Tit. 1. 2. which could be to none but the Mediator of the New Covenant because there was none else to whom it should be made but he Thirdly The choice was also made then even before man had a being in this world as it is evident where he saith Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed US with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN Christ according as he hath chosen US in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1. 3 4. Nay did I look upon it here to be necessary I should shew you very largely and clearly that God did not only make the Covenant with Christ before the world began and the conditions thereof But I could also shew you that the very Saints qualifications as part of the Covenant was then concluded on by the Father and the Son according to these Scriptures Eph. 1. 3 4. Chap. 2. 10. and Rom. 8. 28. which it may be I may touch upon further anon But Thirdly This Covenant was not made with any of the Fathers neither in whole nor in part as the undertakers thereof for then it must be also concluded that they are Co-partners with Christ in our salvation and so that Christ is not Mediator alone but this would be blasphemy for any one to surmize And therefore by the way when thou readest of the New Covenant in Scripture as though it was made with Adam Noah Abraham or David thou art to consider thus with thy self First That God spake to them in such a way for to shew or signifie unto us how he did make the Covenant that he did make with Christ before the world began they being types of him Secondly That he thereby might let them understand that he was the same then as he is now and now as he was then and that then it was resolved on between his Son and He that in after ages his Son should in their natures from their loins and for their sins be born of a Woman hanged on the Cross c. for them for all along you may see that when he speaketh to them of the New Covenant he mentions their seed their seed still aiming at Christ Christ the Seed of the Woman was to break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 17. Psal. 87. 36. Now to Abraham and his Seed was the promise made his seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the days of heaven c. still pointing at Christ. And Thirdly To stirup their faith and expectations to be constant unto the end in waiting for that which he and his Son had concluded on before time and what he had since the conclusion declared unto the world by the Prophets Fourthly It appeareth that the heart of God was much delighted therein also as is evident in that he was always in every age declaring of that unto them which before he had prepared for them O this good God of Heaven Object But you will say perhaps the Scriptures say plainly that the New Covenant was and is made with Believers saying The days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Iudah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day in which I brought them out of the Land of Egypt c. Heb. 8. 10 11 12 Jer. 31. 33. So that it doth not run with
nor in part Isa. 63. 1 2 3 4 5 6. So that he must not be only he with whom the Covenant was made but he must also become the bonds-man or surety thereof and so stand bound to see that all and every particular thing conditioned for should be both in manner and matter at the time and place according to the agreement duly and orderly fulfilled Is not this grace Now as touching the nature of a surety and his work in some things it is well known to most men therefore I shall be very brief upon it First You know a surety is at the bargains making and so was Christ. Then was I by him Prov. 8. 30. Secondly A surety must consent to the terms of the Agreement or Covenant and so did Christ Jesus Now that which he did ingage should be done for sinners according to the terms of the Covenant it was this First That there should be a compleat satisfaction given to God for the sins of the world for that was one great thing that was agreed upon when the Covenant was made Heb. 10. 5. Secondly That Jesus Christ should as aforesaid bring in an everlasting righteousness to cloath his body the Saints withal Dan. 9. 24 25. Here is grace Thirdly That he should take in charge to see all those forth coming without spot or wrinkle at the day of his glorious appearing from heaven to judgment and to quit them before the Judgment-seat Again Thirdly in the work of a surety there is required by the creditor that the surety should stand to what he is bound and on the sureties there is a consenting thereunto First The creditor looks that in case the debtor proves a bankrupt that then the surety should ingage the payment Is not this grace Secondly The creditor looks that the surety should be an able man now our surety was and is in this case every way suitable for he is heir of all things Thirdly The creditor appoints the day and also looks that the Covenant should be kept and the debt paid according to the time appointed and it is required of sureties as well as stewards that they be found faithful namely to pay the debt according to the bargain and therefore it is said When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made under the Law to redeem them that are under the Law according to his suretiship Gal. 4. 4 5. thus comes grace to Saints Fourthly The creditor looks that his money should be brought into his house to his own habitation Jesus our surety in this also is faithful for by his own blood which was the payment he is entred into the holy place even into heaven it self which is Gods dwelling place to render the value and price that was agreed upon for the salvation of sinners but I shall speak more of this in another head therefore I pass it Again fourthly if the surety stands bound the debtor is at liberty and if the Lavv do issue out any process to take any it vvill be the surety and O! hovv wonderful true was this accomplished in that when Christ our surety came down from heaven Gods Law did so seize upon the Lord Jesus and so cruelly handle him and so exact upon him that it would never let him alone until it had accused him and condemned him executed him and scrued his very hearts blood out of his precious heart and side nay and more than this too as I shall shew hereafter But secondly in the next place after that Jesus Christ had stood bound and was become our surety in things pertaining to this Covenant his next office was to be the messenger of God touching his Mind and the tenour of the Covenant unto the poor world and this did the Prophet fore-see long before when he faith Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare thy way before thee speaking of John the Baptist And he shall prepare thy way before thee and then he speaketh of Christ to the people saying And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple Who is he even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in that is Christ behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 3. 1. Now the Covenant being made before between the Father and the Son and Jesus Christ becoming bound to see all the conditions fulfilled this being done he comes down from Heaven to Earth to declare to the world what God the Father and He had concluded on before and what was the mind of the Father towards the world concerning the salvation of their souls and indeed who could better come of such an errand then he that stood by when the Covenant was made then he that shook hands with the Father in making of the Covenant then he that was become a surety in the behalf of poor Sinners according to the terms of this Covenant Now you know a messenger commonly when he cometh he doth bring some errand to them to whom he is sent either of what is done for them or what they would have them whom they send unto do for them or such like Now what a glorious message was that which our Lord Jesus Christ came down from Heaven withal to declare unto poor sinners and that from God his Father I say how glorious was it and how sweet is it to you that have seen your selves lost by nature and it will also appear a glorious one to you who are a seeking after Jesus Christ if you do but consider these follovving things about vvhat he vvas sent First Jesus Christ was sent from Heaven to declare unto the world from God the Father that he was wonderfully filled with love to poor sinners First In that he would forgive their sins Secondly In that he would save their souls Thirdly In that he would make them heirs of his glory For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved John 3. 15 16 18. Secondly God sent Jesus Christ to tell the poor world how that he would do this for poor sinners and yet be just and yet do his Justice no wrong and that was to be done by Jesus Christ his dying of a cursed death in the room of poor sinners to satisfie justice and make way for mercy to take away the stumbling-blocks and set open Heaven-gates to overcome Satan and break off from sinners his chains to set Luke 4. 18. open the prison doors and to let the prisoners go free Isa. 61. 1 2 3. And this was the message that Christ was to deliver to the world by commandment from his Father and this did he tell us when he came of his errand where he saith I lay down my life for my Sheep No man taketh it a way from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it
labour to lay more sins upon his back Canst thou hear that he suffered the pains the fiery flames of Hell and canst thou find in thy heart to add to his groans by slighting of his sufferings O hard hearted wretch How canst thou deal so unkindly with such a sweet Lord Jesus Quest. But why did Christ offer himself in sacrifice Answ. That thou shouldest not be thrown to the very Devils Quest. But why did he spill his precious blood Answ. That thou mightest enjoy the joys of Heaven Quest. But why did he suffer the pains of Hell Answ. That thou mightest not fry with the devil and damned souls Quest. But could not we have been saved if Christ had not died Answ. No for without shedding of blood there is no remission and besides there was no death that could satisfie Gods justice but his which is evident because there was none in a capacity to dye or that was able to answer an infinite God by his so suffering but he Quest. But why did God let him dye Answ. He standing in the room of sinners and that in their names and natures Gods justice must fall upon him for justice takes vengeance for sin wheresoever it finds it though it be on his dear Son Nay God favoured his Son no more finding our sins upon him then he would have favoured any of us For should we have died so did he Should we have been made a curse so was he Should we have undergone the pains or hell so did he Quest. But did he indeed suffer the torments of hell Answ. Yea and that in such an horrible way too that it is unspeakable Quest. Could he not have suffered without his so suffering would not his dying only of a natural death have served the turn Answ No in no wise The sins for which he suffered called for the torments of hell the condition in which he died did call for the torments of hell for Christ did not dye the death of a Saint but the death of a Sinner of a cursed and damned sinner because he stood in their rooms Gal. 3. 13. the Law to which he was subjected called for the torments of hell the nature of Gods justice could not bate him any thing the death which he was to suffer had not lost its sting all these being put together do irresistibly declare unto us that he as a sacrifice did suffer the torments of hell But Secondly had he not died and suffered the cursed death the Covenant had been made void and his suretiship would have been forfeited and besides this the world damned in the Flames of Hell fire therefore his being a sacrifice was one part of the Covenant for the terms of the Covenant was that he should spill his blood Zech. 9. 10 11. O blessed Jesus O blessed Grace Quest. But why then is his death so slighted by some Answ. Because they are enemies to him either through ignorance or presumption either for want of knowledge or out of malice for surely did they love or believe him they could not chuse but break and bleed at heart to consider and to think of him Zech. 12. 10 11. Thus passing this I shall now speak something to Christs Priestly Office but by the way if any should think that I do here spin my thread too long in distinguishing his Priestly Office from his being a sacrifice they supposing that for Christ to be a Priest and a Sacrifice is all one and the same thing and it may be it is because they have not thought on this so well as they should Namely that as he was a sacrifice he was passive Isa. 53. that is led or had away as a lamb to his sufferings But as a Priest he was active that is he did willingly and freely give up his body to be a sacrifice He hath given his life a ransom for many This consideration being with some weight and clearness on my spirit I was and am caused to lay them down in two particular heads And therefore The second thing that I would speak something to it is this that as there were Priests under the first Covenant so there is a Priest under this belonging to this New Covenant a high Priest the chief Priest as it is clear where it is said We having an high Priest over the House of God Heb. 10. 21. Chap. 3. 1 Chap. 5. 5 10. and Chap. 7. 24 25 26. Chap. 8. 1 4. Now the things that I shall treat upon are these First I shall shew you the Qualifications required of a Priest under the Law Secondly his Office and thirdly how Jesus Christ did according to what was signified by those under the Law I say how he did answer the Types and where he went beyond them For his Qualifications First They must be called thereto of God No man take this honour upon him but he that is called of God as Aaron Heb. 5. 4. Now Aarons being called of God to be a Priest signifies that Jesus Christ is a Priest of Gods appointment such a one that God hath chosen likes of and hath set on work called of God an high Priest c. ver 10. Secondly The Priests under the Law they must be men compleat not deformed Speak unto Aaron saith God to Moses saying Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any bleinish let him not approach to offer the bread of his God for whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish he shall not approach if he be a blind man or a lame man or he that hath a flat nose or any thing superfluous or a man that is broken footed or broken handed or crookt backt or a dwarf or he that hath a blemish in his eye or be scurvy or scabbed or hath his stones broken No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer offerings of the Lord made by fire he hath a blemish he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God Levit. 21. 17 18 19 20 21. What doth all this signifie but that in the first place he must not be lame to signifie he must not go haltingly about the work of our salvation 2. He must not be blind to signifie that he must not go ignorantly to work but he must be quick of understanding in the things of God 3. He must not be scabbed to signifie that the Priest must not be corrupt or filthy in his Office 4. In a word he must be every ways compleat to signifie to us that Jesus Christ was to be and is most compleat and most perfect every way an acceptable high Priest in things pertaining to God in reference to this second Covenant Thirdly The Priests under the Law were not to be hard hearted but pitiful and compassionate willing and ready with abundance of bowels to offer for the people and to make an atonement for them Heb. 5. 1 2. To signifie that Jesus Christ should be a
tender hearted high Priest able and willing to simpathize and be affected with the infirmities of others to pray for them to offer up for them his precious blood he must be such an one who can have compassion on a company of poor ignorant souls and on them that are out of the way to recover them and to set them in safety Heb. 4. 15. and that he might thus do he must be a man that had experience of the disadvantages that infirmity and sin did bring unto these poor creatures Heb. 2. 17. Fourthly The high Priests under the Law were not to be shie or squemish in case there was any that had the plague or leprosie scab or blaunches but must look on them go to them and offer for them Levit. 13. read that whole Chapter all which is to signifie that Jesus Christ should not refuse to take notice of the several infirmities of his poorest people but to teach them and to see that none of them be lost by reason of their infirmity for want of looking to or tending of This priviledge also have we under this second Covenant This is the way to make Grace shine Fifthly The high Priests under the Law they were to be anointed with very excellent Oyl compounded by art Exod. 29. 7. Chap. 30. 30. to signifie that Jesus the great high Priest of this New Covenant should be in a most eminent way anointed to his Priestly Office by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Sixthly The Priests food and livelihood in the time of his Ministry was to be the consecrated and holy things Exod. 29. 33. to signifie that it is the very meat and drink of Jesus Christ to do his Priestly Office and to save and preserve his poor tempted and afflicted Saints O what a New Covenant high Priest have we Seventhly The Priests under the Law were to be washed with water Exod. 29. 4. to signifie that Jesus Christ should not go about the work of his Priestly Office with the silth of sin upon him but was without sin to appear as our high Priest in the presence of his Father to execute his Priestly Office there for our advantage For such a high Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Heb. 7. 26. Eighthly The high Priests under the Law before they went into the holy place they were to be clothed with a curious garment a breast-place and an ephod and a robe and a broidered coat a mitre and a girdle and these were to be made of gold and blue and purple and scarlet and fine linnen and in this garment and glorious ornaments there must be precious stones and on those stones there must be written the names of the children of Israel read the 28. of Exodus and all was to signifie what a glorious high Priest Jesus Christ should be and how in the righteousness of God he should appear before God as our high Priest to offer up the sacrifice that was to be offered for our salvation to God his Father but I pass that Now I shall speak to his Office The Office of the high Priest in general was two-fold First To offer the sacrifice without the Camp Secondly To bring it within the vail that is into the holiest of all which did type out Heaven First It was the Office of the Priest to offer the sacrifice and so did Jesus Christ he did offer his own body and soul in sacrifice I say HE did OFFER it and not another as it is written No man taketh away my life but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again John 10. 17 18. And again it is said When he Jesus had offered up one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God Heb. 10. 12. Secondly The Priests under the Law must offer up the sacrifice that God had appointed and none else a compleat one without any blemish and so did our high Priest where he saith Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me and that will I offer Heb. 10. 5. Thirdly The Priest was to take of the ashes of the sacrifice and lay them in a clean place and this signifies that the body of Jesus after it had been offered should be laid into Josephs sepulchre as in a clean place where never any man before was laid Levit. 6. 11. compared with John 19. 41 42. This being one part of his office and when this was done then in the next place he was to put on the glorious garment when he was to go into the holiest and take of the blood and carry it thither c. he was to put on the holy garment which signifieth the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Secondly He was in this holy garment which hath in it the stones and in the stones the names of the Twelve Tribes of the children of Israel to appear in the holy place Exodus 28. And thou shalt take two Onix stones and shalt grave on them the names of the children of Israel Six of their names on one stone and the other six names of the rest on the other stone according to their birth ver 9 10. And this was to signifie that when Jesus Christ was to enter into the holiest then he was there to bear the names of his elect in the tables of his heart before the Throne of God and the Mercy-seat Heb. 12. 23. Thirdly With this he was to take of the blood of the sacrifices and carry it into the holiest of all which was a type of Heaven and there was he to sprinkle the mercy-seat and this was to be done by the high Priest only To signifie that none but Jesus Christ must have this office and priviledge to be the peoples high Priest to offer for them Heb. 9. 7. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year yet not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people Fourthly He was there to make an atonement for the people with the blood sprinkling of it upon the mercy-seat but this must be done with much incense Levit. 16. And Aaron shall bring the bullock which is for a sin-offering for himself and for his house and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the Altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the vail And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony that he dye not And he shall take of the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat east-ward and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times And then he shall kill the goat of the
sin-offering which is for the people and bring his blood within the vail and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy-seat verse 11 12 13 14 15. Now this was for the priest and the people all which doth signifie that Jesus Christ was after his death to go into heaven it self of which this holy place was a figure Heb. 9. and there to carry the sacrifice that he offered upon the Cross into the presence of God for to obtain mercy for the people in a way of justice And in that he is said to take his hands full of sweet incense it signifies that Jesus Christ was to offer up his sacrifice in the presence of his Father in a way of intercession and prayers I might have branched these things out into several particulars but I would be brief I say therefore the office of the Priests was to carry the blood into the holy place and there to present it before the mercy-seat with his heart full of intercessions for the people for whom he was a Priest Luke 1. 8 9 10 11. This is Jesus Christs work now in the kingdom of glory to plead his own blood the nature and vertue of it with a perpetual intercession to the God of mercy on the behalf of us poor miserable sinners Heb. 7. 24. Now in the intercession of this Jesus which is part of his priestly office there is these things to be considered for our comfort First There is a pleading of the vertue of his blood for them that are already come in that they may be kept from the evils of heresies delusions temptations pleasures profits or any thing of this world which may be too hard for them Father I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world saith Christ but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil John 17. 15. Secondly in case the devil should aspire up into the presence of God to acuse any of the poor Saints and to plead their back-slidings against them as he will do if he can then there is Jesus our Lord Jesus ready in the Court of Heaven at the right hand of God to plead the vertue of his blood not only for the great and general satisfaction that he did give when he was on the Cross but also the vertue that is in it now for the cleansing and fresh purging of his poor Saints under their several temptations and infirmities as saith the Apostle For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more then being reconciled we shall be saved by his life that is by his intercession Rom. 5. 10. Thirdly The maintaining of grace also is by Jesus Christs intercession being the second part of his Priestly Office O! had we not a Jesus at the right hand of God making intercession for us and to convey fresh supplies of Grace unto us through the vertue of his blood being pleaded at Gods right hand how soon would it be with us as it is with those for whom he prays not at all John 17. 9. But the reason why thou standest while others fall the reason why thou goest through the many temptations of the world and shakest them off from thee while others are ensnared and intangled therein it is because thou hast an interceding Jesus I have prayed saith he that thy saith fail not Luke 22. 3 2. Fourthly It is partly by the vertue of Christs intercession that the elect are brought in there is many that are to come to Christ which are not yet brought in to Christ and it is one part of his work to pray for their salvation too Neither pray I for these alone but for all those that shall believe though as yet they do not believe on me but that they may believe through their word John 17. 20. And let me tell thee soul for thy comfort who art a coming in to Christ panting and sighing as if thy heart would break I tell thee soul thou wouldest never have come to Christ if he had not first by the vertue of his blood and intercession sent into thy heart an earnest desire after Christ and let me tell thee also that it is his business to make intercession for thee not only that thou mightest come in but that thou mightest be preserved when thou art come in Compare Heb. 7. 25. with Rom. 8. 33 34 35 c. Fifthly It is by the intercession of Christ that the infirmities of the Saints in their holy duties are forgiven Alas if it was not for the priestly office of Christ Jesus the prayers alms and other duties of the Saints might be rejected because of the sin that is in them but Jesus being our high Priest he is ready to take away the iniquities of our holy things perfuming our prayers with the glory of his own perfections and therefore it is that there is an answer given to the Saints prayers and also acceptance of their holy duties Rev. 8. 3 4. But Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament or Covenant that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called notwithstanding all their sins might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 11 12 13 14 15. The third thing now to be spoken to it is to shew where and how Jesus Christ out-went and goes beyond these priests in all their qualifications and offices for the comfort of poor Saints First They that were called to the priest-hood under the Law were but men but he is both God and Man Heb. 7. 28. 3. 2. Their qualifications were in them in a very scanty way but Jesus was every way qualified in an infinite and full way They were consecrated but for a time Heb. 7. 23. but he for ever more ver 24. 4. They were made without an oath ver 20 21. but he with an oath 5. They as servants but he as a Son Heb. 3. 6. 6. Their garments were but such as could be made with hands Ez. 28. but his the very righteousness of God Rom. 3. 22. 7. Their offerings were but the body and blood of beasts and such like Phil. 3. 8. but his offering was his own body and soul Heb.
9. 12 13. Chap. 10. 4 5. Isa. 53. 10. Heb. 10. 5. 8. Those were but at best but a shadow or type verse 1. but he the very substance and end of all those Ceremonies Heb. 9. 10. 11. 9. Their holy place was but made by men Heb. 9. 24. but his or that which Jesus is entered is into Heaven it self Heb. 5. 2 3. 10. When they went to offer their sacrifice they were forced to offer for themselves as men compassed about with infirmity Heb. 7. 26. but he holy harmless Heb. 10. 11. who did never commit the least transgression Heb. 7. 26. 11. They when they went in to offer they were fain to do it standing Heb. 10. to signifie that God had no satisfaction therein but he when he had offered one sacrifice for sin for ever sat down on the right hand of God Jer. 12. To signifie that God was very well pleased with his offering 12. They were fain to offer often times the sacrifice that could never take away sin but he by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 11 14. 13. Their sacrifices at the best could but serve for the cleansing of the flesh Heb. 9. 13. but his for cleansing both body and soul The blood of Jesus Christ doth purge the conscience from dead works to live a holy life verse 14. 14. Those high Priests could not offer but once a year in the holiest of all ver 7. but our high Priest he ever liveth to make intercession for us Heb. 7. 24 25. 15. Those high Priests notwithstanding they were Priests they were not always to were their holy garments but Jesus never puts them off of him but is in them always 16. Those high Priests death would be too hard for them Heb. 7. 21 23. but our high Priest hath vanquished and overcome that cruel enemy of ours Heb. 2. 15. and brought life and immortality to light through the glorious Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. 17. Those high Priests were not able to save themselves but this is able to save himself and all that come to God by him Heb. 7. 25. 18. Those high Priests blood could not do away sin but the blood of Jesus Christ who is our High Priest cleanseth us from all sin 1 John 1. 7. 19. Those high Priests sometimes by sin caused God to reject their sacrifices but this high Priest doth always the things that please him 20. Those high Priests could never convey the Spirit by vertue of their sacrifices or office but this high Priest our Lord Jesus he can and doth give all the gifts and graces that are given to the sons of men 21. Those high Priests could never by their sacrifices bring the soul of any sinner to glory by vertue of it self but Jesus hath by one offering as I said before perfected for ever those that he did die for Thus in brief I have shewed in some particulars how and wherein Jesus our high Priest doth go beyond those high Priests and many more without question might be mentioned but I forbear A fifth Office of Christ in reference to the second Covenant it was that he should be the Fore-runner again to heaven before his Saints that were to follow after First he strikes hands in the Covenant Secondly he stands bound as a surety to see every thing in the Covenant accomplished that was to be done on his part then he brings the message from heaven to the world and before he goeth back he offereth himself for the same sins that he agreed to suffer for and so soon as this was done he goeth post haste to heaven again not only to exercise the second part of his Priestly Office but as our Fore-runner to take possession for us even into heaven it self as you may see Heb. 6. 20. where it is said Whither the forerunner is for us entered First He is run before to open heaven gates Be ye open ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may enter in Secondly He is run before to take possession of glory in our natures for us Thirdly He is run before to prepare us our places against we come after I go to prepare a place for you John 14. 1 2 3. Fourthly He is run thither to make the way easie in that he hath first trodden the path himself Fifthly He is run thither to receive gifts for us All spiritual and heavenly gifts had been kept from us had not Christ so soon as the time appointed was come run back to the kingdom of glory to receive them for us But I cannot stand to enlarge upon these glorious things the Lord enlarge them upon your hearts by meditation Here now I might begin to speak of his Prophetical and Kingly Office and the priviledges that do and shall come thereby but that I fear I shall be too tedious therefore at this time I shall pass them by Thus you may see how the Covenant of Grace doth run and with whom it was made and also what was the conditions thereof Now then this Grace this evenlasting Grace of God comes to be free to us through the satisfaction according to the conditions given by another for us for though it be free and freely given to us yet the obtaining of it did cost our Head our Publick-man a very dear price 1 Cor. 6. 20. For ye are bought with a price even with the precious blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 9. So it is by another I say not by us yet it is as sure made over to us even to so many of us as do or shall believe as if we had done it and obtained the grace of God ourselves nay surer for consider I say this grace is free to us and comes upon a clear score by vertue or the labour and purchase of another for us mark that which is obtained by another for us is not obtained for us by our selves Now but Christ hath obtained eternal redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. not by the blood of goats and calves which was things offered by men under the Law but by his own blood meaning Christs he entred into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us Secondly It comes to be unchangeable through the perfection of that satisfaction that was given to God through the Son of Mary for us for whatever the divine infinite and eternal justice of God did call for at the hands of man if ever he intended to be a partaker of the grace of God this Jesus this one man this publick person did compleatly give a satisfaction to it even so effectually which caused God not only to say I am pleased but I am well pleased Mat. 3. 17. Compleatly and sufficiently satisfied with thee on their behalf for so you must understand it Mark there these following words And having made peace or compleatly made up the difference through the blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say
of in the 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. speaking there of fornicators idolators adulterers effeminates abusers of themselves with mankind thieves covetous revilers drunkards extortioners the basest of sinners in the world and yet were washed and yet were justified was it not freely by grace O Saints you that are in Heaven cry out We came hither by grace and you that are on earth I am sure you cry if ever we do go thither it must be freely by grace Secondly In the next place it appears to be unchangeable in this First Because Justice being once satisfied doth not use to call for the debt again No let never such a sinner come to Jesus Christ and so to God by him and Justice instead of speaking against the salvation of that sinner it will say I am just as well as faithful to forgive him his sins 1 John 1. 9. When Justice it self is pleased with a man and speaks on his side instead of speaking against him we may well cry out Who shall condemn 2. Because there is no Law to come in against the sinner that believes in Jesus Christ for he is not under that and that by right comes in against none but those that are under it But Believers are not under that that is not their Lord therefore that hath nothing to do with them and besides Christs blood hath not only taken away the curse thereof but also he hath in his own person compleatly fulfilled it as a publick person in our stead Rom. 8. 1 2 3 4. 3. The Devil that accused them is destroyed Heb. 2. 14 15. 4. Death and the Grave and Hell are overcome 1 Cor. 15. 55. Hâ—sea 13. 14. 5. Sin that great enemy of mans salvation that is washed away Rev. 1. 5. 6. The righteousness of God is put upon them that believe and given to them and they are found in it Phâ—l 3. 8 9 10. Rom. 3. 22. 7. Christ is always in heaven to plead for them and to prepare a place for them Heb. 7. 24. John 14 1 2 3 4. 8. He hath not only promised that he will not leave us nor forsake us but he hath also sworn to fulfill his promise O rich grace free grace Lord who desired thee to promise Who compelled thee to swear we use to take honest men upon their bare words But God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel hath confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things his promise and his oath in which it is impossible for God to lye or break either of them we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6. 13 17 18. I 'll warrant you God will never break his Oath therefore we may well have good ground to hope from such a good Foundation as this that God will never leave us indeed Again thirdly Not only thus but first God hath begotten Believers again to himself to be his adopted and accepted Children in and through the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 1. 3. Secondly God hath prepared a Kingdom for them before the Foundation of the world through Jesus Christ Mat. 25. Thirdly He hath given them an earnest of their happiness while they live here in this world Eph. 1. 13 14. After ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory and that through this Jesus Fourthly If his Children sin through weakness or by suddain temptation they confessing of it he willingly forgives and heals all their wounds reneweth his love towards them waits to do them good casteth their sins into the depths of the sea and all this freely without any work done by men as men Not for your sakes do I this O House of Israel be it known unto you saith the Lord Ezek. 36. 22 32. but wholly and alone by the blood of Jesus Fifthly In a word if you would see it altogether Gods love was the cause why Jesus Christ was sent to bleed for sinners Jesus Christs bleeding stops the cries of divine justice God looks upon them as compleat in him gives them to him as his by right of purchase Jesus ever lives to pray for them that are thus given unto him God sends his holy Spirit into them to reveal this to them sends his Angels to minister for them and all this by vertue of an everlasting Covenant between the Father and the Son Thrice happy are the people that are in such a case Nay further he hath made them Brethren with Jesus Christ members of his flesh and of his bones the Spouse of this Lord Jesus and all to shew you how dearly how really how constantly he loveth us who by the faith of his operation have laid hold upon him I shall now lay down a few arguments for the superabundant clearing of it and afterwards answer two or three objections as may be made against it and so I shall fall upon the next thing First God loves the Saints as he loves Jesus Christ. And God loves Jesus Christ with an eternal love therefore the Saints also with the same Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me John 17. 23. Secondly That love which is God himself must needs be everlasting love And that is the love wherewith God hath loved his Saints in Christ Jesus therefore his love towards his children in Christ must needs be an everlasting love There is none dare say that the love of God is mixed with a created mixture if not then it must needs be himself 1 John 4. 16. Thirdly That love which is always pitched upon us in an object as holy as God must needs be an everlasting love Now the love of God was and is pitched upon us through an object as holy as God himself even our Lord Jesus Therefore it must needs be unchangeable Fourthly If he with whom the Covenant of Grace was made did in every thing and condition do even what the Lord could desire or require of him that his love might be extended to us and that for ever Then his love must needs be an everlasting love seeing every thing required of us was compleatly accomplished for us by him And all this hath our Lord Jesus done and that most gloriously even on our behalf therefore it must needs be a love that lasts for ever and ever Fifthly If God hath declared himself to be the God that changeth not and hath sworn to be immutable in his promise then surely he will be unchangeable And he hath done so therefore it is impossible for God to lie and so for his eternal love to be unchangeable Heb. 6. 13 14 17 18. Here is an argument of the Spirits own making who can contradict it If any object and say but still it is upon the condition of believing I answer the condition also is his
now is killed to his own righteousness and counts that but dung but dross not worth the dirt hanging on shoes O then says he Thou filthy righteousness Isa. 64. 6. how hast thou deceived me How hast thou beguiled my poor soul How did I deceive my self with giving of a little alms with abstaining from some gross polutions with walking in some ordinances as to the outside of them How hath my good words good thinkings good meanings as the world calls them deceived my ignorant soul I want the righteousness of faith the righteousness of God for I see now there is no less will do me any good Fourthly It is also killed to its own faith its notion of the Gospel it s own hope it s own repentings it s own promises and resolutions to its own strength it s own vertue or whatsoever it had before now saith the soul That faith I thought I had it is but fancy that hope I thought I had I see it is but hypocritical but vain and groundless hope now the soul sees it hath by nature no saving faith no saving hope no grace at all by nature by the first Covenant Now it crieth out How many promises have I broken and how many times have I resolved in vain when I was sick at such a time and in such a streight at such a place Indeed I thought my self a wise man once but I see my self a very fool now O how ignorant am I of the Gospel now and of the blessed experience of the Work of God on a Christians heart In a word it sees it self beset by nature with all evil and destitute of all good which is enough to kill the stoutest hardest hearted sinner that ever lived on the earth O Friends should you be plainly dealt withal by this discovery of the dealing of God with a sinner when he makes him a Saint and would seriously try your selves thereby as God will try you one day how few would there be found of you to be so much as acquainted with the work of God in the Notion much less in the experimental knowledge of the same And indeed God is fain to take this way with sinners thus to kill them with the Old Covenant to all things below a crucified â—hrist First Because otherwise there would be none in the world that would look after this sweet Jesus Christ. There is but a few that go to Heaven in all comparatively and them few God is fain to deal with them in this manner or else his Heaven his Christ his Glory and everlasting Happiness must abide by themselves for all sinners Do you think that Manasseh would have regarded the Lord had he not suffered his enemies to have prevailed against him 2 Chron. 33. from the 1. verse to the 16. Jer. 31. 18. Do you think that Ephraim would have looked after salvation had not God first confounded him with the guilt of the sins of his youth What do you think of Paul Acts 9. 4 5 6. What do you think of the Jailour Acts 16. 30 31 32. What do you think of the Three Thousand Acts 2. 36 37. Was not this the way that the Lord was fain to take to make them close in with Jesus Christ Was he not fain to kill them to every thing below a Christ that they were driven to their wits ends insomuch that they were forced to cry out Whbat shall we do to be saved I say God might keep Heaven and Happiness to himself it he should not go this way to work with sinners O stout hearted rebels O tender hearted God! Secondly Because then and not till then will sinners accept of Jesus Christ on Gods terms So long as sinners can make a life out of any thing below Christ so long they will not close with Christ without indenting but when the God of Heaven hath killed them to every thing below himself and his Son then Christ will down on any terms in the world And indeed this is the very reason why sinners when they hear of Christ yet will not close in with him there is something that they can take content in besides him The prodigal so long as he could content himself with the husks that the swine did eat so long he did keep away from his Fathers House but when he could get no nourishment any where on this side of his Fathers House then saith he and not till then I will arise and go to my Father c. I say Ths is the reason therefore why men come no faster and close no realier with the Son of God but stand halting and indenting about the terms they must have Christ upon for saith the drunkard I look on Christ to be worth the having but yet I am not willing to lose ALL for him all but my pot saith the drunkard and all but the world saith the covetous I will part with any thing but lust and pride saith the wanton but if Christ will not be had without I forsake all cast away all then it must be with me as it was with the young man in the Gospel such news will make me sorry at my very heart But now when a man is soundly killed to all his sins to all his righteousness to all his comforts whatsoever and sees that there is no way but the Devil must have him but he must be damned in hell if he be not clothed with Jesus Christ Oh! then saith he give me Christ on any terms whatsoever he cost though he cost me friends though he cost me comforts though he cost me all that ever I have yet like the wise Merchant in the Gospel they will sell all to get that pearl I tell you when a soul is brought to see its want of Christ aright it will not be kept back Father Mother Husband Wise Lands Livings nay life and all shall go rather then the soul will miss of Christ. I and the soul counteth Christ a cheap Saviour if it can get him vpon any terms now the soul indents no longer Now Lord give me Christ upon any terms whatsoever he cost for I am a dead-man a damned man a cast away if I have not Christ. What say you O you wounded sinners Is not this true as I have said would you not give Ten thousand worlds if you had so many so be you might be well answered that your sins shall be pardoned and your souls and bodies justified and glorified at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly The Lord goeth this way for this reason also that it might make the soul sensible what it cost Christ to redeem it from death and hell When a man cometh to feel the sting and guilt of sin death and hell upon his conscience then and not till then can he tell what it cost Christ to redeem sinners O! saith the soul if a few sins are so terrible and lay the soul under such wrath and torment what did Christ undergo who bare the
justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ as if God had said Sinner thou thinkest because thou hast had so many infirmities and weaknesses in thy soul whilst thou hast been professing of me therefore now there can be no hopes of mercy but be it known unto thee that it was not any thing done by thee at the first that moved me to have mercy upon thee neither is it any thing that is done by thee now that shall make me either accept or reject thee behold my Son who standeth by me he is righteous he hath fulfilled my Law and given me good satisfaction on him therefore do I look and on thee only as thou art in him and according to what he hath done so will I deal with thee This having stayed my heart and taken off the guilt through the strength of its coming on my soul anon after came in that word as a second testimony He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began And thus is the sinner made alive from the dead being justified by Grace through the righteousness of Christ which is unto all and upon all them that believe according to the Scriptures And the life that I now live it is by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. I lay down my life for my sheep John 10. 10 15. I I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more then being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10 21. That as sin reigneth unto death even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly This life is not only imputed to him that is wrought on by the spirit of Grace that is not only counted his but also there is put into the soul an understanding enlightened on purpose to know the things of God which is Christ and his imputed righteousness 1 John 5. 20. which it never thought of nor understood before 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11. which understanding being enlightened and made to see such things that the soul cannot be contented without it lay hold of and apply Christ unto it self so effectually I say that the soul shall be exceedingly revived in a very heavenly measure with the application of this imputed righteousness for thereby it knoweth it shall find God speaking peace to its self and with a fatherly affection say Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee the righteousness of my Son I bestow upon thee For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the thy flesh I have sent forth my only Son and have condemned thy sins in his flesh Rom. 8. 3. 4. And though thou hast gone astray liste a lost sheep yet on him I have laid thine iniquities and though thou thereby didst undo and break thy self forever yet by his stripes I haue healed thee Thus I say the Lord causeth the soul by faith to apply that which he doth by grace impute unto it for thus every soul more or less is dealt withal the soul being thus inlightned thus quickned thus made alive from that dead state it was in before or at least having the beginnings of this life it hath these several vertuous advantages which they have not that are dead in their sins and trespasses and under the Law First It seeth what a sad condition all men by nature are in they being in that state which it self was in but a while since but now by grace it is a beginning to scrable out of it now it seeth the whole world lieth in wickedness 1 John 5. 19. and so liable to eternal vengeance because of their wickedness Ah friends let me tell you though you may be ignorant of your state and condition yet the poor groaning hungering Saints of God do see what a sad woeful miserable state you are in which sometimes makes them tremble to think of your most lamentable latter end you dying so and also to flie the faster to their Lord Jesus for very fear that they also should be partakers of that most doleful doom and this it hath by vertue of its own experience knowing it self was but a while ago in the same condition under the same condemnation O! there is now a hearty blessing of God that ever he should shew to it its sad condition and that he should incline its heart to seek after a better condition O blessed be the Lord saith the soul that ever he should awaken me stir up me and bring me out of that sad condition that I once with them was in It makes also the soul to wonder to see how foolishly and vainly the rest of its neighbours do spend their precious time that they should be so void of understanding so forgetful of their latter end so senseless of the damning nature of their sins O that their eyes was but inlightned to see whereabouts they are 〈◊〉 surely they would be of another mind then they are now in Now the soul wonders to see what slender pins those poor creatures do hang the stress of the eternal salvation of their souls upon O methinks saith the soul it makes me mourn to see that some should think that they were Born Christians and others that their Baptisme makes them so others depending barely upon a traditional historical faith which will leave their souls in the midst of plerplexity O that they should trust to such fables fancies and wicked slights of the Devil as their good doings their good thinkings their civil walking and living with the world O miserable profession and the end thereof will be a miserable end But now vvhen the soul is thus vvrought upon it must be sure to look for the very gates of hell to be set open against it vvith all their force and might to destroy it Novv hell rageth the devil roareth and all the world resolved do be the best they can to bring the soul again into bondage and ruine Also the soul shall not want enemies even in its own hearts lust as covetousness adultery blasphemy unbelief hardness of heart coldness half-heartedness ignorance with an innumerable company of attendants hanging like so many blocks at its heels ready to sink it into the fire of hell every moment together with strange apprehensions of God and Christ as if now they were absolutely turned to be its enemies which maketh it doubt of the certainty of its salvation For you must understand that though a soul may in reality have the righteousness of the Son of God imputed to it and also some faith in a very strong manner to lay hold upon it yet
at another time through temptation they may fear and doubt again insomuch that the soul may be put into a very great fear lest it should return again into the condition it once was in Jer. 32 40. O saith the soul when I think of my former state how miserable it was it makes me tremble and when I think that I may fall into that condition again how sad are the thoughts of it to me I would not be in that condition again for all the world and this fear riseth still higher and higher as the soul is sensible of Satans temptations or of its working of its own corruptions Ha! these filthy lusts these filthy corruptions O that I was rid of them that they were consumed in a moment that I could be quite rid of them they do so disturb my soul dishonour my God so defile my conscience and sometimes so weaken my hands in the way of God and my comforts in the Lord O how glad should I be if I might be stripped of them Rom. 7. 24. Which fear puts the soul upon flying to the Lord by prayer for the covering of his imputed righteousness and for strength against the Devils temptations and its own corruptions that God would give down his holy spirit to strengthen it against the things that do so anoy its soul and so discourage it in its way with a resolution through grace never to be contented while it doth find in it self a triumphing over it by faith in the blood of a Crucified Jesus Secondly The soul that hath been thus killed by the Law to its things it formerly delighted in now O now it cannot be contented with that slender groundless faith and hope that once it contented it self withal No no but now it must be brought into the right saving knowledge of Jesus Christ now it must have him discovered to the soul by the spirit now it cannot be satisfied because such and such do tell it is so No but now it will cry out Lord shew me continually in the light of thy Spirit through thy word that Jesus that was born in the days of Cesar Augustus when Mary a Daughter of Judah went with Joseph to be taxed at Bethelâ—m that he is the very Christ. Lord let me see it in the light of thy spirit and in the operation thereof and let me not be contented without such a faith that is so wrought even by the discovery of his birth crucifying death blood resurrection ascension intercession and second which is his personal coming again that the very faith of it may fill my soul with comfort and holiness and O how afraid the soul is lest it should fall short of this faith and of the hope that is begotten by such discoveries as these are For the soul knoweth that if it hath not this it will not be able to stand neither in death nor judgment and therefore saith the soul Lord whatever other poor souls content themselves withal let me have that which will stand me instead and carry me through a dangerous world that may help me to resist a cunning Devil that may help me to suck true soul satisfying consolation from Jesus Christ through thy promises by the might and power of thy Spirit And now when the poor soul at any time hath any discovery of the love of God through a bleeding dying risen interceding Jesus because it is not willing to be deceived O how wary is it of closing with it for fear it should not be right for fear it should not come from God Saith the soul Cannot the Devil give one such comfort tro Cannot he transform himself thus into an Angel of light So that the soul because it would be upon a sure ground cries out Lord shew me thy salvation and that not once or twice but Lord let me have thy presence continually upon my heart to day and to morrow and every day for the soul when it is rightly brought from under the Covenant of Works and planted into the Covenant of Grace then it cannot be unless it be under some desperate temptation contented without the presence of God teaching comforting stablishing and helping of the soul to grow in the things of the Lord Jesus Christ because it knoweth that if God hath but with-drawn his presence in any way from it as he doth do sometimes for a while that then the Devil will be sure to be near at hand working with his temptations trying all ways to get the soul into slavery and sin again also the corrupt principle that will be joyning and combining with the wicked one and will be willing to be a Co-partner with him to bring the soul into mischief which puts a soul upon an earnest continual panting after more of the strengthening preserving comforting and teaching presence of God and for strong supplies of faith that it may effectually lay hold on him Thirdly The soul is quickned so that it is not satisfied now without it do indeed and in truth partake of the peace of Gods Elect now it is upon the examination of the reality of its joy and peace Time was indeed that any thing would serve its turn any false conceâ—ts of its state to be good but now all kind of peace will not serve its turn all kind of joy will not be accepted with it now it must joy in God through Jesus Christ now its peace must come through the vertue of the blood of Christ speaking peace to the conscience by taking away both the guilt and the filth of sin by that blood also by shewing the soul its free acceptance with God through Christ he having compleatly fulfilled all the conditions of the first Covenant and freely placed it into the safety of what he hath done and so presents the soul compleat and spotless in the sight of God through his obedience Now I say he hath peace through the blood of his Cross and sees himself reconciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1. 20 21. or else his comfort will be questioned by him It is not every promise as cometh now upon his heart that will serve his turn no but he must see whether the Babe Jesus be presented to the soul in and through that promise now if the Babe leap in his womb as I may say so say it is because the Lords promise sounds aloud in his heart coming to him big with the love and pardoning grace of God in Jesus Christ I say this is the first and principle joy that the soul hath that is quickened and brought into the Covenant of Grace Fourthly Now the man finds Heavenly sanctification wrought in his soul through the most precious blood of the man whose name is Jesus Christ. Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Now the soul finds a change in the understanding in the will in the mind in the affections in the judgment and also in the conscience through thâ—
touching this no but there is all the Prophets do agree in advancing this in writing and also all the Saints do now declare the same in speaking forth the aimableness and many powerful vertues thereof As for thee by the blood of thy Covenant saith God to Christ I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water Zech. 9. 11. We have redemption through his blood Ephes. 1. 7. Again Col. 1. 14. We have redemption through his blood Our robes are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7. 14. The Devil is overcome through the blood of the Lamb Rev. 12. 11. Yea and conscience is purged too and that through the blood of the Lamb Heb. 9. 14. We have free recourse to the Throne of grace through the blood of Jesus Heb. 10. 19. I could bring thee a cloud of witnesses out of all the types and shadows and out of the sundry Prophets and much more out of the New Testament but I forbear because I would not be too tedious to thee Reader in making too large a digression though I have committed here in this Discourse no transgression for the blood of Christ is precious blood 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. In the next place I shall shew you the several priviledges and advantages the man or woman hath that is under this Covenant of Grace over they have that are under the Covenant of the Law and Works As first the Covenant of Grace is not grounded upon our obedience but upon Gods love even his pardoning love to us through Christ Jesus The first Covenant it stood to be broken or kept by us and Gods love or anger to be lost or enjoyed hereafter as we as creatures behaved our selves but now the very ground of the Covenant of Grace is Gods love 't is meer love through Jesus Christ Deut. 7. 8 9. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number then other people for you were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loves you and because he will keep the oath which he swore to your fathers Again Isa. 63. 9. In his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and the Angel of his presence saved them that is Jesus Christ. And again 2. Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us Not according to the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began Secondly This love is not conveyed to us through what we have done as is afore proved but through what he hath done with whom the Covenant was made which was given us in Christ. According as he hach chosen us in Christ Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. God for Christs sake hath loved you 2 Tim 1. 9. Eph 1. 3 4. Eph. 4. 32. That is through Christs doings through Christs sufferings Now if this be but rightly understood it doth discover abundance of comfort to them that are within the bounds of the Covenant of Grace For First Here a believer seeth he shall stand if Christs doings and sufferings stand which is a sure Foundation for God dealeth with him through Christ. And so Secondly He shall not fall unless the sufferings and merits of Christ be thrown over the bar being found guilty which will never be before the eyes of divine justice For with him the Covenant was made and he was the surety of it Zech. 9. 11. Heb. 7. 22. That is as the Covenant was made with him so he stood bound to fulfill the same For you must understand that the Covenant was made between the Father and the Son long before it was accomplished or manifestly sealed with Christs blood it was made before the world began Tit. 1. 2. Ephes. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. But the conditions thereof was not fulfilled until less than Two Thousand Years ago and all that while did Jesus stand bound as a surety as I said before is used to do till the time in which the payment should be made And it was by vertue of his suretiship having bound himself by Covenant to do all things agreed on by the Father and him that all those of the election that were born before he came that they might be saved and did enter into rest For the forgiveness of sins that was past though it was through the blood of Christ yet it was also through the for bearance of God Rom. 3. 25. That is Christ becoming surety for those that died before his coming that he would indeed and in truth at the fulness of time or at the time appointed Gal. 4. 4. give a compleat and full satisfaction for them according to the tenour or condition of the Covenant Again Secondly The second Covenant which Believers are under as the ground and foundation if it is safe so the promises thereof are better surer freer and fuller c. First They are better if you compare the excellency of the one with the excellency of the other The first hath promised nothing but an earthly paradise Do this and thou shalt live Namely here in an earthly paradise But the other doth bring the promise of an heavenly paradise Secondly As the Covenant of Works doth promise an earthly Paradise yet it is a Paradise or Blessing though once obtained yet might be lost again for no longer than thou doest well no longer art thou accepted by that O but the Promises in the New Covenant do bring unto us the benefit of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 15. That they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance O rare it is an eternal inheritance Thirdly The other as it is not so good as this so neither is it so sure as this and therefore he calls the one such a one as might be and was shaken Heb. 12. 27. but this is said to be such a one that cannot be shaken And this word saith he treating of the two Covenants from verse the 18. to the 24 And this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are or may be shaken as of things that are made that those things that cannot be shaken which is the second Covenant may remain for â—aith he verse the 28. which cannot be moved Therefore ye blessed Saints seeing you have received a Kingdom which cannot which cannot be moved therefore Let us have grace whereby we may serve our God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Thus in general but more particular First They are surer in that they are founded upon Gods love also and they come to us without calling for those things at our hands that may be a means of putting of a stop to our certain enjoying of them The promises under or of the Law they might easily be stopped by our disobedience but the promises under the Gospel saith If heaven above can be measured and the
I could that God would accept of me and have mercy upon me as he had on others Ah friends this is the cause of the ruine of thousands for if they are blinded to this both the right use of the Law and also of the Gospel is hid from their eyes and so for certain they will be in danger of perishing most miserably poor souls that they are unless God of his meer mercy and love doth rend the vail from off their hearts the vail of ignorance for that is it which doth keep these poor souls in this besetted and blindfolded condition in which if they dye they may be lamented for but not helped they may be pittied but not preserved from the stroak of Gods everlasting vengeance In the next place if you would indeed be delivered from the first into the second Covenant I do admonish you to the observing of these following particulars First Have a care that you do not content your selves though you do good works that is which in themselves are good in and with a Legal Spirit which are done these ways as followeth First If you do any thing commanded in Scripture and in your doing of it do think that God is well pleased therewith because you as you are religious men do do the same upon this mistake was Paul himself in danger of being destroyed for he thought because he was zealous and one of the strictest sect for Religion therefore God would have been good unto him and have accepted his doings as it is clear for he counted them his gain Philipians 3. 4 5 6 7 8. Now this is done thus When a man doth think that because he thinks he is more sincere more liberal with more difficulty or to the weakning of his estate I say if a man because of this doth think that God accepteth his labour it is done from an Old Covenant Spirit Again Some men they think that they shall be heard because they have prayer in their families because they can pray long and speak expressions or express themselves excellently in prayer that because they have great enlargements in prayer I say that therefore to think that God doth delight in their doings and accept their works this is from a Legal Spirit Again Some men think that because their Parents have been religious before them and have been indeed the people of God they think if they also do as to the outward observing of that which they learned from their fore-runners that therefore God doth accept them but this also is from a wrong spirit and yet how many are there in England at this day that think the better of themselves meerly upon that account I and think the people of God ought to think so too not understanding that it is ordinary for an Eli to have an Hophni and a Phinâ—has both sons of Belial Also a good Samuel to have a perverse off-spring likewise David an Absalom I say their being ignorant of or else negligent in regarding this they do think that because they do spring from such and such as the Jews in their generations did that therefore they have a priviledge with God more than others when there is no such thing John 8 33 34 35. Mat. 3. 7 8 9. but for certain if the same faith be not in them which was in their fore-runners to lay hold of the Christ of God in the same spirit as they did they must utterly perish for all their high conceits that they have of themselves Secondly When People come into the presence of God without having their eye upon their Divine Majesty through the flesh and blood of the Son of Mary the Son of God then also do they come before God and do whatsoever they do from a Legal Spirit an old Covenant Spirit As for instance you have some people 't is true they will go to Prayer in appearance very fervently and will plead very hard with God that he would grant them their desires pleading their want and the abundance thereof they will also plead with God his great mercy and also his free promises but yet they neglecting the aforesaid Body or Person of Christ the righteous Lamb of God to appear before him in I say in thus doing they do not appear before the Lord no otherwayes then in an old Covenant Spirit for they go to God only as a merciful Creator and they themselves as his Creatures not as he is their Father in the Son and they his children by Regeneration through the Lord Jesus I and though they may call God their Father in the Notion not knowing what they say only having learned such things by tradition as the Pharisees did yet Christ will have his time to say to them even to their faces as he did once to the Jews Your father for all this your profession is the Devil to their own grief and everlasting misery John 8. 44. The third thing that is to be observed if we would not be under the Law or do things in a Legal Spirit is this to have a care that we do none of the works of the holy Law of God for life or acceptance with him no nor of the Gospel neither To do the works of the Law to the end we may be accepted of God or that we may please him and to have our desires of him is to do things from a Legal or old Covenant-Spirit and that is expresly laid down where it is said To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt that is he appears before God through the Law and his obedience to it Rom. 4. 4 5. And again though they be in themselves Gospel-Ordinances as baptism breaking of bread hearing praying meditating or the like yet I say if they be not done in a right Spirit they are thereby used as a hand by the Devil to pull thee under the Covenant of Works as in former times he used circumcision which was no part of the Covenant of Works the ten Commands but a Seal of the righteousness of Faith yet I say they being done in a Legal Spirit the Soul was thereby brought under the Covenant of Works and so most miserably destroyed unawares to it self and that because there was not a right understanding of the nature and terms of the said Covenants And so it is now Souls being ignorant of the nature of the old Covenant do even by their subjecting to several Gospel-ordinances run themselves under the old Covenant and fly off from Christ even when they think they are a coming closer to him O miserable If you would know when or how this is done whether in one particular or more I shall shew you as followeth 1. That man doth bring himself under the Covenant of Works by Gospel-Ordinances when he cannot be persuaded that God will have mercy upon him except he do yield obedience to such or such a particular thing commanded in the Word this is the very same spirit that was in
the false brethren spoken of Asts 15. Gal. the whole Epistle whose judgement was that unless such and such things were done they could not be saved As now a days we have also some that say unless your Infants be baptized they cannot be saved and others say unless you be rightly baptized you have no ground to be assured that you are believers or members of Churches which is so far off from being so good as a Legal Spirit that it is the Spirit of Blasphemy as is evident because they do reckon that the Spirit Righteousness and Faith of Jesus and the confession thereof is not sufficient to declare men to be members of the Lord Jesus when on the other side though they be rank hypocrites yet if they do yield an outward subjection to this or that they are counted presently communicable members which doth clearly discover that there is not so much honour given to the putting on the righteousness of the Son of God as there is given to that which a man may do and yet go to hell within an hour after nay in the very doing of it doth shut himself for ever from Jesus Christ. 2. Men may do things from a Legal or Old Covenant-Spirit when they content themselves with their doing of such and such a thing as prayers reading hearing baptism breaking of bread or the like I say when they can content themselves with the thing done and sit down at ease and content because the the thing is done As for instance some men they being persuaded that such and such a thing is their duty and that unless they do do it God will not be pleased with them nor suffer them to be heirs of his kingdom they from this spirit do rush into and do the thing which being done they are content as being persuaded that now they are without doubt in a happy condition because they have done such things like unto the Pharisee who because he had done this and the other thing said therefore in a bragging way Lord I thank thee that I am not as this Publican for I have done thus and thus when alas the Lord gives him never a good word for his labour but rather a reproof 3. That man doth act from a Legal Spirit who maketh the strictness of his walking the ground of his assurance for eternal life Some men all the ground they have to believe that they shall be saved it is because they walk not so loose as their neighbours they are not so bad as others are and therefore they question not but that they shall do well now this is a false ground and a thing that is verily Legal and savours only of some slight and shallow apprehensions of the Old Covenant I call them shallow apprehensions because they are not right and sound and are such as will do the Soul no good but beguile it in that the knowledge of the nature of this Covenant doth not appear to the Soul only some commanding power it hath on the Soul which the Soul endeavouring to give up it self unto it doth find some peace and content and especially if it find it self to be pretty willing to yield it self to its commands and is not this the very ground of thy hoping that God will save thee from the wrath to come If one should ask thee what ground thou hast to think thou shalt be saved wouldst thou not say truly because I have left my sins and because I am more inclinable to do good and to learn and get more knowledge I endeavour to walk in Church order as they call it and therefore I hope God hath done a good work for me and I hope will save my soul. Alas alas this is a very trick of the Devil to make Souls build the ground of their salvation upon this their strictness and abstaining from the wickedness of their former lives and because they desire to be stricter and stricter Now if you would know such a man or woman you shall find them in this frame namely when they think their hearts are good then they think also that Christ will have mercy upon them but when their corruptions work then they doubt and scruple untill again they have their hearts more ready to do the things contained in the Law and Ordinances of the Gospel Again such men do commonly chear up their hearts and encourage themselves still to hope all shall be well and that because they are not so bad as the rest but more inclinable than they saying I am glad I am not as this Publican but better than he more righteous than he Luke 18. 11. 4. That is a Legal and Old Covenant-Spirit that secretly persuades the Soul that if ever it will be saved by Christ it must first be â—itted for Christ by its getting of a good heart and good intentions to do this and that for Christ I say that the Soul when it comes to Christ may not be rejected or turned off when indeed and in truth this is the very way for the Soul to turn it self from Jesus Christ instead of turning to him for such a Soul looks upon Christ rather to be a painted Saviour or a Cipher then a very and real Saviour Friend if thou canst fit thy self what need hast thou of Christ If thou canst get qualifications to carry to Christ that thou mightest be accepted thou doest not look to be accepted in the beloved Shall I tell thee thou art as if a man should say I will make my self clean and then I will go to Christ that he may wash me or like to a man possessed that will first cast the Devils out of himself and then come to Christ for cure for him Thou must therefore if thou wilt so lay hold of Christ as not to be rejected by him I say thou must come to him as the basest in the world more fitter to be damned if thou hadst thy right then to have the least smile hope or comfort from him come with the fire of hell in thy conscience come with thy heart hard dead cold full of wickedness and madness against thy own Salvation come as renouncing all thy tears prayers watchings fastings come as a blood-red sinner do not stay from Christ till thou hast a greater sense of thy own misery nor of the reality of Gods mercy do not stay while thy heart is softer and thy spirit in a better frame but go against thy mind and against the mind of the Devil and Sin throw thy self down at the foot of Christ with a halter about thy neck and say Lord Jesus hear a sinner a hard-hearted sinner a sinner that deserveth to be damned to be cast to hell and resolve never to return or to give over crying unto him till thou do find that he hath washed thy Conscience from dead works with his blood vertually and clothed thee with his own righteousness and made thee compleat in himself this is the way to
of God Angels and Devils But I say if thou dost believe these things indeed thou dost believe that then so long ago even before thou wast born he did bear thy Sins in his own Body which then was Hanged on the Tree and never before nor since that thy old Man was then Crucified with him namely in the same Body then Crucified see 1 Pet. 2. 24. and Rom. 6. 6. This is non-sense to them that believe not but if thou do indeed believe thou seest it so plain and yet such a Mystery that it makes thee wonder But in the third Place this glorious Doctrine of the New Covenant and the Mediator thereof will serve for the comforting and the maintaining of the comfort of the Children of the New Covenant this way also that is that he did not only dye and rise again but that he did ascend in his own Person into Heaven to take possession thereof for me to prepare a Place there for me standeth there in the second part of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring me safe in my coming thither and to present me in a glorious manner without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that he is there exercising of his Priestly Office for me pleading the 〈◊〉 of his own Righteousness for me and the vertue of his Blood for me That he is there ready to answer the Accusations of the Law Devil and Sin for me Here thou mayest through Faith look the very Devil in the Face and Rejoyce saying O Satan I have a precious Jesus a Soul comforting Jesus a Sin-pardoning Jesus Here thou mayest hear the biggest thunder-crack that the Law can give and yet not be daunted Here thou mayest say O Law thou may'st roar against Sin but thou can'st not reach me thou may'st Curse and Condemn but not my Soul for I have a righteous Jesus a holy Jesus a Soul-saving Jesus and he hath delivered me from thy Threats from thy Curses from thy Condemnatious I am out of thy reach and out of thy bounds I am brought into another Covenant under better promises promises of Life and Salvation free promises to comfort me without my Merit even through the Blood of Jesus the satisfaction given to God for me by him therefore though thou lay'st my Sins to my charge and sayest thou wilt prove me Guilty yet so long as Christ is above ground and hath brought in everlasting righteousness and given that to me I shall not fear thy threats thy charges thy Soul-searing Denunciations my Christ is all hath done all and will deliver me from all that thou and whatsoever else can bring an Accusation against me Thus also thou may'st say when Death assaulteth thee O Death where is thy sting Thou may'st bite indeed but thou canst not devour I have comfort by and through the one Man Jesus Jesus Christ he hath taken thee Captive and taken away thy strength he hath pierced thy Heart and let out all thy Soul destroying Poyson therefore though I see thee I am not afraid of thee though I feel thee I am not daunted thou hast lost thy sting in the side of the Lord Jesus through him I overcome thee and set foot upon thee Also O Satan though I hear thee grumble and make a hellish Noise and tho thou threaten me very highly yet my Soul shall Triumph over thee so long as Christ is alive and can be heard in Heaven so long as he hath broken thy Head and won the field of thee so long as thou art in Prison and canst not have thy desire I therefore when I hear thy Voice do pitch my Thoughts on Christ my Saviour and do hearken what he will say for he will speak comfort he saith he hath got the Victory and doth give to me the Crown and causeth me to Triumph through his most glorious Conquest Nay my Brethren the Saints under the Levitical Law who had not the New Covenant sealed or confirmed any further than by promise that it should be I say they when they thought of the glorious Privileges that God had promised should come though at that time they were not come but seen afar off how confidently were they perswaded of them and embraced them and were so fully satisfied as touching the certainty of them that they did not stick at the parting with all for the enjoying of them Heb. 11. How many times doth David in the Psalms admire triumph and perswade others to do so also through the Faith that he had in the thing that was to be done Also Job in what Faith doth he say he should see his Redeemer though he had not then shed one drop of Blood for him yet because he had promised so to do and this was signified by the blood of Bulls and Goats Also Samuel Isaiah Jeremiah Zechariah c. how gloriously in confidence did they speak of Christ and his Death Blood Conquest and everlasting Priest-hood even before he did manifest himself in the flesh which he took of the Virgin We that have lived since Christ have more ground to hope than they under the Old Covenant had though they had the Word of the Just God for the ground of their Faith Mark They had only the Promise that he should and would come but we have the assured fulfilling of those Promises because he is come they were told that he should spill his Blood but we do see he hath spilt his Blood They ventured all upon his standing Surety for them but we see he hath fulfilled and that faithfully too the Office of his Suretiship in that according to the engagement he hath redeemed us poor Sinners They ventured on the New Covenant though not actually Sealed only because they judged him faithfull that had promised Heb. 11. 11. but we have the Covenant Sealed all things are compleatly done even as sure as the Heart-Blood of a crucified Jesus can make it There is as great a difference between their Dispensation and ours for comfort even as much as there is between the making of a Bond with a promise to Seal it and the sealing of the same It was made indeed in their time but it was not sealed untill the time the Blood was shed on the Mount Calvary and that we might have our Faith mount up with Wings like an Eagle he sheweth us what encouragement and ground of Faith we have to conclude we shall be everlastingly delivered saying Heb. 9. 16 17 18. For where a Testament or Covenant is there must of necessity be the Death of the Testatour for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testatour liveth whereupon neither the first Testament was dedicated without Blood As Christ's Blood was the Confirmation of the New Covenant yet it was not sealed in Abraham Isaac or Jacob's days to confirm the Covenant that God did tell them of and yet they believed therefore we ought to give the more earâ—est heed to believe the
with my foolish Carriage Shall I slight his Counsel by following of my own Will Thus therefore the Doctrine of the New Covenant doth call for Holiness engage to Holiness and maketh the Children of that Covenant to take Pleasure therein Let no man therefore conclude on this that the Doctrine of the Gospel is a licentious Doctrine but if they do it is because they are Fools and such as have not tasted of the Vertue of the Blood of Jesus Christ neither did they ever feel the Nature and Sway that the Love of Christ hath in the Hearts of his And thus also you may see that the Doctrine of the Gospel is of great Advantage to the People of God that are already come in or to them that shall at the consideration hereof be willing to come in to partake of the glorious Benefits of this glorious Covenant But saith the poor Soul Object Alas I doubt this is too good for me Inquir Why so I pray you Object Alas because I am a Sinner Reply Why all this is bestowed upon none but Sinners as it is written While we were ungodly Christ died for us Rom. 5. 6. 8. He came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 14 15. Object O but I am one of the chief of Sinners Reply Why this is for the chief of Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 14 15. Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief saith Paul Object O but my Sins are so big that I cannot conceive how I should have Mercy Reply Why Soul Didst thou ever kill any Body Didst thou ever burn any of thy Children in the Fire to Idols Hast thou been a Witch Didst thou ever use Enchantments and Conjuration Didst thou ever curse and swear and deny Christ And yet if thou hast there is yet hopes of Pardon yea such Sinners as these have been pardoned as appears by these and the like Scriptures 2 Chron. 33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Verses compared with the 12 13. Again Acts 19. 19 20. Acts 8. 22. compared with Verse 9. Matth. 26. 74 75. Ob. But though I have not sinned such kind of Sins yet it may be I have sinned as bad Answ. That cannot likely be yet though thou hast still there is ground of Mercy for thee for as much as thou art under the Promise John 6. 37. Object Alas man I am afraid that I have sinned the unpardonable Sin and therefore there is no hope for me Answ. Dost thou know what the unpardonable Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost is And when it is committed Reply It is a Sin against Light Answ. That is true yet every Sin against Light is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost Reply Say you so Answ. Yea and I prove it thus If every Sin against Light had been the Sin that is unpardonable then had David and Peter and others sinned that Sin but though they did sin against Light yet they did not sin that sin therefore every Sin against Light is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost the unpardonable Sin Object But the Scripture saith If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Answ. Do you know what that wilful Sin is Reply Why What is it Is it not for a man to sin willingly after enlightning 1 Answ. Yes yet doubtless every willing Sin is not that for then David had sinned it when he lay with Bathsheba and Jonah when he fled from the Presence of the Lord and Solomon also when he had so many Concubines 2 Answ. But that Sin is a Sin that is of another nature which is this For a man after he hath made some Profession of Salvation to come alone by the Blood of Jesus together with some Light and Power of the same upon his Spirit I say for him after this knowingly wilfully and despitefully to trample upon the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross and to count it an unholy thing or no better then the Blood of another man and rather to venture his Soul any other way then to be saved by this precious Blood And this must be done I say after some light Heb. 6. 4 5. Despitefully Heb. 10. 29. Knowingly 2 Pet. 2. 21. and wilfully Heb. 10. 26. compared with ver 29. and that not in a hurry and sudden sit as Peter's was but with some time before-hand to pause upon it first with Judas and also with a continued Resolution never to turn or be converted again For it is impossible to renew such again to Repentance they are so resolved and so desperate Heb. 6. Quest. And how sayest thou now Didst thou ever after thou hadst received some blessed Light from Christ wilfully despitefully and knowingly stamp or trample the Blood of the man Christ Jesus under thy Feet 〈◊〉 and art thou for ever resolved so to do Answ. O no I would not do that wilfully despitefully and knowingly not for all the World Inqui. But yet I must tell you now you put me in mind of it surely sometimes I have most horrible blasphemous Thoughts in me against God Christ and the Spirit May not thâ—se be that Sin too Answ. Dost thou delight in them are they such things as thou takest Pleasure in Reply O no neither would I do it for a thousand Worlds O methinks they make me sometimes tremble to think of them But how and if I should delight in them before I am aware Answ. Beg of God for strength against them and if at any time thou findest thy wicked Heart to give way in the least thereto for that is likely enough and though thou find it may on a sudden give way to that hell-bred Wickedness that is in it yet do not despair for as much as Christ hath said All manner of Sins and Blasphemies shall be forgiven to the Sons of Men. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man that is Christ as he may do with Peter through Temptation yet upon Repentance it shall be forgiven him Mat. 12. 32. Object But I thought it might have been committed all on a sudden either by some blasphemous Thought or else by committing some other horrible Sin Answ. For certain this Sin and the commission of it doth lie in a knowing wilfull malicious or despiteful together with a final trampling the Blood of sweet Jesus under foot Heb. 10. Object But it seems to be rather a resisting of the Spirit and the motions thereof than this which you say for first its proper Title is the Sin against the Holy Ghost And again They have done despite unto the Spirit of Grace So that it rather seems to be I say that a resisting of the Spirit and the movings thereof is that Sin 1 Answ. For certain the Sin is committed by them that do as before I have said
that is by a final knowing wilful malicious trampling under foot the Blood of Christ which was shed on Mount Calvary when Jesus was there crucified And though it be called the Sin against the Spirit yet as I said before every Sin against the Spirit is not that for if it was then every Sin against the Light and Convictions of the Spirit would be unpardonable but that is an evident untruth for these Reasons First because there be those who have sinned against the movings of the Spirit and that knowingly too and yet did not commit that As Jonah who when God had expresly by his Spirit bid him go to Nineveh he runs thereupon quite another way Secondly because the very People that have sinned against the movings of the Spirit are yet if they do return received to Mercy Witness also Jonah who though he had sinned against the movings of the Spirit of the Lord in doing contrary thereunto Yet when he called as he saith to the Lord out of the Belly of Hell the Lord heard him and gave him deliverance and set him again about his work Read the whole story of that Prophet 2 Answ. But secondly I shall shew you that it must needs be wilfully knowingly and a malicious rejecting of the man Christ Jesus as the Saviour That is counting his Blood his Righteousness his Intercession in his own Person for he that rejects one rejects all to be of no value as to salvation I say this I shall shew you is the unpardonable Sin And then afterwards in brief shew you why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost First That man that doth reject as aforesaid the Blood Death Righteousness Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of the man Christ doth reject that Sacrifice that Blood that Righteousness that Victory that Rest that God alone hath appointed for Salvation John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb or sacrifice of God We have Redemption through his Blood Ephes. 1. 7. That I may be found in him to wit in Christs Righteousness with Christs own personal obedience to his Fathers Will Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. By his Resurrection comes Justification Rom. 4. 25. His Intercession now in his own Person in the Heavens now absent from his Saints is the cause of the Saints Perseverance 2 Cor. 6 7 8. also Rom. 8. 33 34 35 36 c. Secondly They that reject this Sacrifice and the Merits of this Christ which he by himself hath brought in for Sinners hath rejected him through whom alone all the Promises of the New Testament together with all the Mercy discovered thereby doth come unto poor Creatures For all the promises in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God 2 Cor. 1. 20. And all spiritual Blessings are made over to us through him Ephes. 1. 3 4. That is through and in this Man which is Christ we have all our spiritual Heavenly and eternal Mercies Thirdly He that doth knowingly wilfully and despitefully reject this man for Salvation doth sin the unpardonable Sin because there is never another sacrifice to be offered Heb. 10. 26. There is no more offering for Sin there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin Heb. 10. 18. namely than the offering of the body of Jesus Christ a Sacrifice once for all Heb. 10. ver 10. and 14. compared with ver 18. and 26. No but they that shall after light and clear conviction reject the first offering of his Body for Salvation do Crucifie him the second time which irrecoverably merits their own Damnation For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come If they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance seeing they Gruâ—â—fiâ— to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open Shame If they fall away to renew them again unto Repentance And why so seeing saith the Apostle they do crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and do put him to open shame O then how miserably hath the Devil deceived some In that he hath got them to reject the merits of the first offering of the Body of Christ which was for Salvation and got them to trust in a fresh Crucifying of Christ which unavoidably brings their speedy Damnation Fourthly they that do reject this Man as aforesaid do sin the unpardonable Sin because in rejecting him they do make way for the Justice of God to break out upon them and to handle them as it shall find them which will be in the first place Sinners against the first Covenant which is the Soul-damning Covenant and also despising of even the Life and Glory and Consolations Pardon Grace and Love that is discovered in the second Covenant forasmuch as they reject the Mediator and Priest of the same which is the Man Jesus And the Man that doth so I would fain see how his Sins should be pardoned and his Soul saved seeing the means which is the Son of Man the Son of Mary and his Merits is rejected For saith he If you believe not that I am he you shall mark you shall do what you can you shall appear where you can you shall follow Moses Law or any holiness whatsoever you shall dye in your Sins Joh. 8. 24. So that I say the Sin that is called the unpardonable Sin is a knowing wilful and despiteful rejecting of the sacrificing of the Son of Man the first time for Sin And now to shew you why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost as in these Scriptures Mat. 12. Heb. 10. Mark 3. First Because they Sin against the manifest light of the Spirit as I said before it is a Sin against the light of the Spirit That is they have been formerly enlightened into the nature of the Gospel and the Merits of the Man Christ and his Blood Righteousness Intercession c. And also professed and confessed the same with some life and comfort in and through the profession of him Yet now against all that Light maliciously and with despite to all their former Profession turn their backs and trample upon the same Secondly It is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost because such a Person doth as I may say lay violent hands on it one that sets himself in opposition to and is resolved to resist all the motions that do come in from the Spirit to persuade the contrary For I do verily believe that men in this very rejecting of the Son of God after some knowledge of him especially at their first resisting and refusing of him they have certain motions of the Spirit of God to disswade them from so great a Soul-damning Act. But they being filled with an over-powering measure of the Spirit of the Devil do do despite unto these Convictions and Motions by studying and contriving how they may answer them and get from under
the convincing nature of them and therefore it is called a doing despite unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 29. And so Thirdly In that they do reject the beseechings of the Spirit and all its gentle intreatings of the Soul to tarry still in the same Doctrine Fourthly In that they do reject the very Testimony of the Prophets and Apostles with Christ himself I say their Testimony through the Spirit of the Power Vertue Sufficiency and Prevalency of the Blood Sacrifice Death Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of the man Christ Jesus of which the Scriptures are full both in the Old and New Testament as the Apostle saith For all the Prophets from Samuel with them that follow after have shewed of these days That is in which Christ should be a Sacrifice for Sin Acts 3. 24. compared with Ver. 6. 13 14 15 18 26. Again saith he He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit 1 Thes. 4. 8. That is he rejecteth or despiseth the very Testimony of the Spirit Fifthly It is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost because he that doth reject and disown the Doctrine of Salvation by the man Christ Jesus through believing in him doth despise resist and reject the Wisdom of the Spirit for the Wisdom of Gods Spirit did never more appear than in its finding out a way for Sinners to be reconciled to God by the death of this man and therefore Christ as he is a Sacrifice is called the Wisdom of God And again when it doth reveal the Lord Jesus it is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him Ephes. 1. 17. Object But some may say the slighting or rejecting of the Son of Man Jesus of Nazareth the Son of Mary cannot be the Sin that is unpardonable as is clear from that Scripture in the twelfth of Matthew where he himself saith He that shall speak a Word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him but he that shall sin against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this World nor in the World to come Ver. 32. Now by this it is clear that the Sin that is unpardonable is one thing and the sin against the Son of Man another that Sin that is against the Son of Man is pardonable but if that was the Sin against the Holy Ghost it would not be pardonable therefore the Sin against the Son of Man is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost the unpardonable Sin Answ. First I do know full well that there are several Persons that have been pardoned yet have sinned against the Son of Man and that have for a time rejected him as Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. Also the Jews Acts 2. 36 37. But there was an ignorant rejecting of him without the Enlightning and Taste and Feeling of the Power of the things of God made mention of in the sixth of the Hebrews the 3 4 5 6 Verses Secondly There is and hath been a higher manner of sinning against the Son of Man which also hath been and is still pardonable as in the case of Peter who in a violent temptation in a mighty hurry upon a sudden denied him and that after the Revelation of the Spirit of God from Heaven to him that he Jesus was the Son of God Matth. 16. 16 17 18. This also is pardonable if there be a coming up again to repentance O rich Grace O wonderful Grace that God should be so full of Love to his poor Creatures that though they do sin against the Son of God either through ignorance or some sudden violent charge breaking loose from Hell upon them but yet take it for certain that if a Man do slight and reject the Son of God and the Spirit in that manner as I have before hinted that is for a Man after some great measure of the enlightning by the Spirit of God and some Profession of Jesus Christ to be the Saviour and his 〈◊〉 that was shed on the Mount without the Gates of Jerusalem to be the Attonement I say he that shall after this knowingly wilfully and out of malice and despite reject speak against and trample that Doctrine under foot resolving for ever so to do And if he there continue I will pawn my Soul upon it he hath sinned the unpardonable Sin and shall never be forgiven neither in this World nor in the World to come or else those Scriptures that testifie the Truth of this must be scrabled out and must be looked upon for meer Fables which are these following For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which is the Son of Man Matth. 16. 13. and are again intangled therein and overcome which must be by denying this Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. the latter end is worse with them than the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift And have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come If they shall fall away not only fall but fall away that is finally Heb. 10. 19. it is impossible to renew them again unto Repentance and the Reason is rendred seeing they have crucified to themselves the Son of God which is the Son of Man afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6. 4 5 6. Now if you would further know what it is to Crucifie the Son of God afresh it is this For to undervalue and trample under foot the Merits and Vertue of his Blood for Remission of Sins as is clearly manifested in the tenth of the Hebrews 26 27 28 Verses where it 's said For if we Sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and the fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses Law died without Mercy of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall be thought worthy that have trodden under foot the Son of God there is the second Crucifying of Christ which the Quakers think to be saved by and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing And then followeth And hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace Verse the twenty ninth All that Paul had to keep him from this Sin it was his ignorance in persecuting the Man and Merits of Jesus Christ Acts 9. But I obtained Mercy saith he because I did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 14. And Peter though he did deny him knowingly yet he did it unwillingly and in a sudden and fearful Temptation and so by the Intercession of Jesus escaped that Danger So I say they that commit this Sin they do it after Light knowingly wilfully and despitefully and in the open view of the whole World reject the Son of
Man for being their Lord and Saviour and in that it is called the Sin against the holy Ghost It is a Name most fit for this Sin to be called the Sin against the Holy Ghost for these Reasons but now laid down for this Sin is immediately committed against the Motions and Convictions and Light of that Holy Spirit of God that makes it its business to hand forth and manifest the Truth and Reality of the Merits and Vertues of the Lord Jesus the Son of Man And therefore beware Ranters and Quakers for I am sure you are the nearest that Sin by profession which is indeed the right committing of it of any Persons that I do know at this day under the whole Heavens for as much as you will not venture the Salvation of your Souls on the Blood shed on Mount Calvary Luke 23. 33. out of the side of that Man that was offered up in Sacrifice for all that did believe in that his offering up of his Body at that time either before he offered it or that have do or shall believe on it for the time since together with that time that he offered it though formerly you did profess that Salvation was wrought out that way by that Sacrifice then offered and also seemed to have some comfort thereby yea insomuch that some of you declared the same in the hearing of many professing your selves to be believers of the same O therefore it is sad for you that were once thus enlightned and have tasted these good things and yet notwithstanding all your Profession you are now turned from the simplicity that is in Christ to another Doctrine which will be to your destruction if you continue in it for without Blood there is no Remission Heb. 9. 22. Many other Reasons might be given but that I would not be too tedious yet I would put in this Caution that if there be any Souls that be but now willing to venture their Salvation upon the Merits of a Naked Jesus I do verily for the present believe they have not sinned that Sin because there is still a promise holds forth it self to such a Soul where Christ saith He that comes to me I will in no wise for nothing that he hath done cast him out John 6. 36. That promise is worthy to be written in Letters of Gold Object But alas though I should never sin that Sin yet I have other sins enough to Damn me Answ. What though thou had'st the sins of a thousand Sinners yet if thou come to Christ he will save thee Joh. 6. 36. see also Heb. 7. 25. Object Alas but how should I come I doubt I do not come as I should do my Heart is naught and dead and alas then how should I come Answ. Why bethink thy self of all the sins that ever thou did'st commit and lay the weight of them all upon thy Heart till thou art down loaden with the same and come to him in such a Case as this and he will give thee rest for thy Soul Mat. 11. the three last Verses And again if thou wouldest know how thou shouldest come come as much undervaluing thy self as ever thou canst saying Lord here is a Sinner the basest in all the Country if I had my deserts I had been damned in Hell Fire long ago Lord I am not worthy to have the least corner in the Kingdom of Heaven and yet O that thou wouldest have Mercy Come like Benhadad's Servants to the King of Israel 1 Kin. 20. 31 32. with a Rope about thy Neck and fling thy self down at Christ's feet and lye there a while striving with him by thy Prayers and I 'll warrant thee speed Mat. 11. 28 29 30. John 6. 37. Object O! but I am not sanctified Answ. He will sanctifie thee and be made thy Sanctification also 1 Cor. 6. 10 11. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Object O! but I cannot Pray Answ. To Pray is not for thee to down on thy Knees and say over a many Scripture words only for that thou may'st do and yet do nothing but babble But if thou from a sense of thy baseness canst groan out thy Hearts desire before the Lord he will hear thee and grant thy desire for he can tell what is the meaning of the groanings of the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 27. Object O but I am afraid to Pray for fear my Prayers should be counted as sin in the sight of the great God Answ. That is a good sign that thy Prayers are more than bare words and have some prevalence at the Throne of Grace through Christ Jesus or else the Devil would never seek to labour to beat thee off from Prayer by undervaluing thy Prayers telling thee they are Sin for the best Prayers he will call the worst and the worst he will call the best or else how should he be a Liar Object But I am afraid the day of Grace is past and if it should be so what should I do then Answ. Truly with some men indeed it doth fare thus that the day of Grace is at an end before their Lives are at an end Or thus the day of Grace is past before the day of Death is come as Christ saith If thou had'st known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy Peace that is the word of Grace or Reconciliation but now it is hid from thine Eyes Luke 19. 41 42. But for the better satisfying of thee as touching this thing Consider these following things First doth the Lord knock still at the door of thy Heart by his Word and Spirit If so then the day of Grace is not past with thy Soul for where he doth so knock there he doth also proffer and promise to come in and Sup that is to Communicate of his things unto them which he would not do was the day of Grace past with the Soul Rev. 3. 20. But how should I know whether Christ do so knock at my heart as to be desirous to come in That I may know also whether the day of Grace be past with me or no Consider these things First doth the Lord make thee sensible of thy miserable state without an interest in Jesus Christ and that naturally thou hast no share in him no faith in him no communion with him no delight in him or love in the least to him If he hath and is doing of this he hath and is knocking at thy Heart Secondly doth he together with this put into thy Heart an earnest desire after communion with him together with holy Resolutions not to be satisfied without real communion with him Thirdly doth he sometimes give thee some secret persuasions though not scarcely discernable that thou mayest attain and get an interest in him Fourthly doth he now and then glance in some of the promises into thy Heart causing them to leave some heavenly savour though but for a very short time on thy Spirit Fifthly dost thou at some time see some
little Excellency in Christ and doth all this stir up in thy Heart some breathings after him If so then fear not the Day of Grace is not past with thy poor Soul for if the day of Grace should be past with such a Soul as this then that Scripture must be broken where Christ saith He that cometh unto me I will in no wise for no thing by no means upon no terms whatsoever cast out John 6. 37. Object But surely if the day of Grace was not past with me I should not be so long without an answer of Gods love to my Soul that therefore doth make me mistrust my state the more is that I wait and wait and yet am not delivered Answ. Hast thou waited on the Lord so long as the Lord hath waited on thee it may be the Lord hath waited on thee this twenty or thirty yea forty years or more and thou hast not waited on him seven years cast this into thy Mind therefore when Satan tells thee that God doth not love thee because thou hast waited so long without an assurance for it is his temptation for God did wait longer upon thee and was fain to send to thee by his Ambassadors time after time And therefore say thou I will wait to see what the Lord will say unto me and the rather because he will speak Peace for he is the Lord thereof But secondly Know that it is not thy being under trouble a long time that will be an Argument sufficient to prove that thou art past hopes Nay contrariwise for Jesus Christ did take our Nature upon him and also did undertake deliverance for those and bring it in for them who were all their Life Time subject to Bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. Object But alas I am not able to wait all my Strength is gone I have waited so long I can wait no longer Answ. It may be thou hast concluded on this long ago thinking thou shouldest not be able to hold out any longer no not a year a month or a week nay it may be not so long It may be in the morning thou hast thought thou shouldest not hold out till night and at night till morning again yet the Lord hath supported thee and kept thee in waiting upon him many Weeks and Years therefore that is but the Temptation of the Devil to make thee think so that he might drive thee to despair of Gods Mercy and so to leave off following the ways of God and to close in with thy Sins again O therefore do not give way unto it but believe that thou shalt see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart wait I say on the Lord Psal. 27. 23 24. And that thou mayest so do consider these things First If thou after thou hast waited thus long shouldest now give over and wait no longer thou wouldest lose all thy time and pains that thou hast taken in the way of God hitherto and wilt be like to a man that because he sought long for Gold and did not find it therefore turned back from seeking after it though he was hard by it and had almost found it and all because he was loth to look and seek a little further Secondly Thou wilt not only lose thy time but also lose thy own Soul for Salvation is no where else but in Jesus Christ Acts 4. 12. Thirdly Thou wilt sin the highest sin that ever thou didst sin before in drawing finally back insomuch that God may say my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. But secondly consider thou sayest all my strength is gone and therefore how should I wait why at that time when thou feelest and findest thy strength quite gone even that is the time when the Lord will renew and give thee fresh strength The youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with Wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint Isa. 40. 30 31. Object But though I do wait yet if I be not elected to eternal Life what good will all my waiting do me For it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy Therefore I say if I should not be elected all is in vain 1 Answ. Why in the first place to be sure thy backsliding from God will not prove thy election neither thy growing weary of waiting upon God 2 Answ. But secondly Thou art it may be troubled to know whether thou art elected And sayest thou if I did but know that that would encourage me in my waiting on God Answ. I believe thee but mark thou shalt not know thy election in the first place but in the second That is to say thou must first get acquaintance with God in Christ which doth come by thy giving credit to his Promises and Records which he hath given of Jesus Christ his Blood and Righttousness together with the rest of his Merits That is before thou canst know whether thou art elected thou must believe in Jesus Christ so really that thy faith laying hold of and drinking and eating the Flesh and Blood of Christ even so that there shall be life begotten in thy Soul by the same Life from the condemnings of the Law Life from the guilt of Sin Life over the filth of the same Life also to walk with God in his Son and wayes the Life of Love to God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son Saints and Wayes and that because they are Holy Harmless and such that are altogether contrary to Iniquity For these things must be in thy Soul as a forerunner of thy being made acquainted with the other God hath these two ways to shew to his Children their election First by Testimony of the Spirit That is the Soul being under trouble of Conscience and grieved for Sin the Spirit doth seal up the Soul by its comfortable Testimony perswading of the Soul that God for Christs sake hath forgiven all those Sins that lye so heavy on the Conscieâ—ce and that do so much perplex the Soul by shewing it that that Law which doth utter such horrible curses against it is by Christs Blood satisfied and fulfilled Eph. 1. 13 14. Secondly By consequence that is the Soul finding that God hath been good unto it in that he hath shewed it its lost state and miserable condition and also that he hath given it some comfortable hope that he will save it from the same I say the Soul from a right sight thereof doth or may draw this conclusion that if God had not been minded to have saved it he would not have done for it such things as these But for the more surer dealing with thy Soul it is not good to take any of these apart that is it is
not good to take the Testimony of the Spirit as thou supposest thou hast from the fruits thereof so as to conclude the Testimony thou hast received to be a sufficient ground without the other not that it is not if it be the Testimony of the Spirit but because the Devil doth also deceive Souls by the workings of his Spirit in them pretending that it is the Spirit of God And again thou shouldest not satisfie thy self though thou do find some seekings in thee after that which is good without the testimony of the other that is to say of the Spirit for it is the Testimony of two that is to be taken for truth Therefore say I as thou shouldest be much in praying for the Spirit to testifie assurance to thee so also thou shouldest look to the end of it when thou thinkest thou hast it which is this to shew thee that it is alone for Christs sake that thy sins are forgiven thee and also thereby a constraining of thee to advance him both by Words and Works in Holiness and righteousness all the Dayes of thy Life From hence thou mayest boldly conclude thy Election 1 Thes. 3 4 5 6. Remembring without ceasing your Work of Faith and Labour of Love and Patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father Knowing Brethren saith the Apostle beloved your Election of God But how why by this For our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with Joy of the Holy Ghost So that you were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia And to wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which hath delivered us from the wrath to come ver 10. Object But alas for my part instead of finding in me any thing that is good I find in me all manner of Wickedness Hard-heartedness Hypocrisie coldness of Affection to Christ very great unbelief together with every thing that is Base and of an ill Savour What hope therefore can I have Answ. If thou wast not such a one thou hadst no need of Mercy If thou wast whole thou hadst no need of the Physician doest thou therefore see thy self in such a sad Condition as this Thou hast the more need to come to Christ that thou mayest be not only cleansed from these Evils but also that thou mayest be delivered from that Wrath they will bring upon thee if thou do not get rid of them to all Eternity Quest. But how should I do and what course should I take to be delivered from this sad and troublesome Condition Answ. Dost thou see in thee all manner of Wickedness The best way that I can direct a Soul in such a case is to pitch a stedfast Eye on him that is full and to look so stedfastly upon him by Faith that thereby thou mayest even draw down of his fulness into thy Heart for that is the right way and the way that was typed out before Christ came in the Flesh in the time of Moses when the Lord said unto him Make thee a Serpent of Brass which was a Type of Christ and set it upon a Pole and it shall come to pass that when a Serpent hath bitten any Man that he may look thereon and live Numb 21. 8. Even so now in Gospel times when any Soul is bitten with the fiery Serpents their Sins that then the next way to be healed is for the Soul to look upon the Son of Man who as the Serpent was was hanged on a Pole or Tree that whosoever shall indeed look on him by Faith may be healed of all their Distempers whatsoever John 3. 14 15. As now to instance in some things First is thy Heart hard why then behold how full of Bowels and Compassion is the Heart of Christ towards thee which may be seen in his coming down from Heaven to spill his Heart-Blood for thee 2. Is thy Heart slothful and idle then see how active the Lord Jesus is for thee in that he did not only die for thee but also in that he hath been ever since his Ascension into Heaven making Intercession for thee Heb. 7. 25. 3. Dost thou see and find in thee Iniquity and Unrighteousness Then look up to Heaven and see there a Righteous Person even thy righteous Jesus Christ now presenting thee in his own Perfections before the Throne of his Fathers Glory 1 Cor. 1. 30. 4. Dost thou see that thou art very much void of right Sanctification then look up and thou shalt see that thy Sanctification is in the presence of God a compleat Sanctification representing all the Saints as Righteous so sanctified ones in the Presence of the great God of Heaven And so whatsoever thou wantest be sure to strive to pitch thy Faith upon the Son of God and behold him stedfastly and thou shalt by so doing find a mighty change in thy Soul For when we behold him as in a Glass even the Glory of the Lord we are changed namely by beholding from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. This is the true way to get both Comfort to thy Soul and also Sanctification and right Holiness into thy Soul Poor Souls that are under the Distemper of a guilty Conscience and under the workings of much Corruption do not go the nearest way to Heaven if they do not in the first place look upon themselves as cursed Sinners by the Law and yet at that time they are blessed for ever blessed Saints by the Merits of Jesus Christ. O wretched Man that I am saith Paul and yet O blessed Man that I am through my Lord Jesus Christ for that is the Scope of the Scripture Rom. 7. 24 25. Object But alas I am blind and cannot see what shall I do now Answ. Why truly thou must go to him that can make the Eyes that are blind to see even to our Lord Jesus by Prayer saying as the poor blind Man did Lord that I might receive my Sight and so continue begging with him till thou do receive Sight even a sight of Jesus Christ his Death Blood Resurrection Ascension Intercession and that for thee even for thee And the rather because first he hath invited thee to come and buy such Eye-salve of him that may make thee see Rev. 3 18. Secondly because thou shalt never have any true comfort till thou dost thus come to see and behold the Lamb of God that hath taken away thy Sins John 1. 29. Thirdly because that thereby thou wilt be able through Grace to step over and turn aside from the several stumbling-blocks that Satan together with his Instruments hath laid in our way which otherwise thou wilt not be able to shun but wilt certainly fall when others stand and grope and stumble when
doest apprehend that thou art defiled and also thy best Duties annoyed with many Weaknesses let that Scripture come into thy Thoughts which saith Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And if thou shalt understand that what thou canst not find in thy self thou shalt find in Christ. Art thou a Fool in thy self then Christ is made of God thy Wisdom Art thou Unrighteous in thy self Christ is made of God thy Righteousness Doest thou find that there is but very little sanctifying Grace in thy Soul still here is Christ made thy Sanctification and all this in his own Person without thee without thy Wisdom without thy Righteousness without thy Sanctification without in his own Person in thy Fathers presence appearing there perfect Wisdom Righteousness and Sanctification in his own Person I say as a publick Person for thee So that thou mayest believe and say to thy Soul My Soul though thou doest find innumerable Infirmities in thy self and in thy Actions yet look upon thy Jesus the man Jesus he is Wisdom and that for thee to govern thee to take care for thee and to order all things for the best for thee He is also thy Righteousness now at Gods right Hand alwayes shining before the Eyes of his Glory So that there it is unmovable though thou art in never such a sad Condition yet thy Righteousness which is the Son of God God-man shines as bright as ever and is as much accepted of God as ever O this sometimes hath been Life to me And so whatever thou O my Soul findest wanting in thy self through Faith thou shalt see all laid up for thee in Jesus Christ whether it be Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification or Redemption Nay not only so but as I said before he is all these in his own Person without thee in the presence of his Father for thee Object But now if any should say in their Hearts O but I am one of the Old Covenant-men I doubt that is I doubt I am not within this glorious Covenant of Grace And how if I should not Answ. Well thou fearest that thou art one of the Old Covenant a Son of the Bond-woman In the first place know that thou wast one of them by Nature for all by Nature are under that Covenant but set the case that thou art to this day under that yet let me tell thee in the first place there is hopes for thee for there is a gap open a way made for Souls to come from under the Covenant of Works by Christ For he hath broken down the middle Wall of Partition between us and you Ephes. 2. 14. And therefore if thou wouldest be saved thou mayest come to Christ. If thou wantest a righteousness as I said before there is one in Christ. If thou wouldest be washed thou mayest come to Christ and if thou wouldest be justified there is justification enough in the Lord Jesus Christ. That 's the first Ans. 2. And secondly thou canst not be so willing to come to Christ as he is willing thou shouldest come to him witness his coming down from Heaven his Humiliation his spilling of his Blood from both his Cheeks Luke 23. 44. by sweat under the burden of sin and his shedding of it by the Spear when he hanged on the Cross. It appears also by his Promises by his Invitations by his sending forth his Messengers to preach the same to poor Sinners and threatneth Damnation upon this very account namely the neglect of him and declares that all the thousands and ten thousands of sins in the World should not be able to damn those that believed in him that he would pardon all forgive and pass by all if they would but come unto him moreover promiseth to cast out none no not the poorest vilest contemptiblest Creature in the whole World Come unto me all every one though you be never so many never so vile though your Load be never so heavy and intollerable though you deserve no help not the least help no Mercy not the least compassion yet cast your Burthen upon me and you shall find rest for your Souls Come unto me and I will heal you love you teach you and tell you the way to the Kingdom of Heaven Come unto me and I will succor you help you and keep you from all Devils and their Temptations from the Law and its Curses and from being for ever overcome with any evil whatsoever Come unto me for what you need and tell me what you would have or what you would have me do for you and all my Strength Love Wisdom and Interest that I have with my Father shall be laid out for you Come unto me your sweet Jesus your loving and tender-hearted Jesus your everlasting and sin-pardoning Jesus Come unto me and I will wash you and put my Righteousness upon you pray to my Father for you and send my Spirit into you that you might be saved Therefore Consider besides this what a priviledge thou shalt have at the day of Judgment above thousands if thou do indeed and in truth close in with this Jesus and accept of him for thou shalt not only have a Priviledge in this Life only but in the Life Everlasting even at the time of Christs second coming from Heaven for then when there shall be the whole World gathered together and all the good Angels bad Angels Saints and Reprobates when all thy Friends and Kindred with thy Neighbours on thy Right-hand and on the left shall be with thee beholding of the wonderful Glory and Majesty of the Son of God then shall the Son of Glory even Jesus in the very view and sight of them all smile and look kindly upon thee when a smile or a kind look from Christ shall be worth more then ten thousand Worlds then thou shalt have it You know it is counted an honour for a poor man to be favourably looked upon by a Judge or a King in the sight of Lords Earls Dukes and Princes why thus it will be with thee in the sight of all the Princely Saints Angels and Devils in the sight of all the great Nobles in the World then even thou that closest in with Christ be thou rich or poor be thou bond or free wise or foolish if thou close in with him he will say unto thee Well done good and faithful Servant even in the midst of the whole World they that love thee shall see it and they that hate thee shall all to their shame behold it for if thou fear him here in secret he will make it manifest even at that day upon the House top Secondly not only thus but thou shalt also be lovingly received and tenderly embraced of him at that day when Christ hath thousands of gallant Saints as old Abraham Isaac Jacob David Isaiah Jeremiah together with all the Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs attending on him together with many thousands of
righteousness of faith that is by believing in Jesus Christ cannot please God Now the righteousness of the Law as a Covenant of works is not the righteousness of faith Therefore the righteousness of the Law as acted by us being under that Covenant cannot please God The first is proved in Heb. 1â— 6. But without faith it is impossible to please him mark it is impossible The second thus The Law is not of faith Gal. 3. 12. Rom. 10. 5 6. compared with Gal. 3. 11. But that no man is justified in the sight of the Lord by the Law it is evident for the just shall live by faith and the Law is not of faith But for the better understanding of those that are weak of apprehension I shall prove it thus First That soul that hath eternal life he must have it by right of purchase or redemption Heb. 9. 22. Eph. 1. 7. Secondly this purchase or redemption must be through the Blood of Christ. You have redemption through his Blood Without shedding of blood there is no remission Now the Law is not in a capacity to die and so to redeem sinners by the purchase of Blood which satisfaction justice calls for read the same Scriptures Heb. 9. 22. justice calls for satisfaction because thou hast transgressed and sinned against it and that must have satisfaction therefore all that ever thou canst do cannot bring in redemption though thou follow the Law up to the nail-head as I may say because all this is not shedding of blood for believe it and know it for certain that though thou hadst sinned but one sin before thou didst turn to the Law that one sin will murther thy soul if it be not washed away by blood even by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ that was shed when he did hang upon the Cross on Mount Calvary Object But you will say methinks that giving up you selves to live a righteous life should make God like better on us and so let us be saved by Christ because we are so willing to obey his Law Answ. The motive that moveth God to have mercy upon sinners is not because they are willing to follow the Law but because he is willing to save them Not for thy righteousness or for thy uprightness of heart doest thou possess the Land Deut. 9. 4 5 6. Now understand this if thy will to do righteousness was the first moving cause why God had mercy on thee through Christ then it must not be freely by grace I say freely but the Lord loves thee and saves thee upon free terms having nothing before-hand to make him accept of thy soul but only the Blood of Christ therefore to allow of such a principle it is to allow that grace is to be obtained by the works of the Law which is so gross darkness as lies in the darkest dungeon in Popery and is also directly opposite to Scripture For we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ not through the good that is in our selves or done by us Rom. 3. 24 〈◊〉 No But by faith without mark that without the deeds of the Law verse 28. Again not of vvorks lest any man should boast Eph. 2. 9. No no saith he Not according to our vvorks or righteousness but according to his ovvn purpose mark according to his ovvn purpose and grace which was a free gift given us in Christ Jesus not lately but before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 9. Object But you will say then why did God give the Law if we cannot have salvation by following of it Answ. I told you before that the Law was given for these following reasons First That thou mightest be convinced by it of thy sins and that thy sins might indeed appear very sinful unto thee which is done by the Law these ways First By shewing of thee what a holy God he is that did give the Law and secondly By shewing thee thy vileness and wickedness in that thou contrary to this holy God hast transgressed against and broken this his holy Law therefore saith Paul The Law was added that the offence might abound Rom. 5. 20. that is by shewing the creature the holiness of God and also it s own vileness Secondly That thou mayest know that God will not damn thee for nothing in the Judgment day Thirdly Because he would have no quarrelling at his just condemning of them at that day Fourthly Because he will make thee to know that he is a holy God and pure Quest. But seeing you have spoken thus far I wish you would do so much as to shew in some particulars both what men have done and how far they have gone and what they have received being yet under this Covenant which you call the ministration of condemnation Ansvv. This is something a difficult question and had need be not only warily but also home and soundly answered The question consists of three particulars First What men have done Secondly How far men have gone Thirdly What they have received and yet to beunder the Law or Covenant of Works and so in a state of condemnation As for the first I have spoken something in general to that already but for thy better understanding I shall speak yet more particularly First a man hath and may be convinced and troubled for his sins and yet be under this Covenant and that in a very heavy and dreadful manner in so much that he may find the weight of them to be intollerable and too heavy for him to bear as it was with Cain Gen. 4. 13. My punishment saith he is greater than I can bear Secondly A man living thus under a sense of his sins may repent and be sorry for them and yet be under this Covenant and yet be in a damned state Mat. 27. 3. And when he Judas saw what was done he repeated Thirdly Men may not only be convinced and also repent for their sins but they may also desire the prayers of the Children of God for them too and yet be under this Covenant and Curse Exod. 10. 16 17. And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said I have sinned intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me these plagues Fourthly A man may also humble himself for his offences and disobedience against his God and yet be under this Covenant see 1 Kings 21. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Fifthly A man may make restitution unto men for the offence he hath done unto them and yet be under this Covenant Sixthly A man may do much work for God in his generation and yet be under this first Covenant as Jehu who did do that which God bid him 2 King 9 25 26. and yet God threatneth even Jehu because though he did do the thing that the Lord commanded him yet he did it not from a right principle for had he the Lord would not have said Yet a little while and I will aâ—enge the blood of Jezreel