inward man a change and through the outward man a change from head to foot as we use to say For he that is in Christ and so in this Covenant of Grace is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. or hath been twice made made and made again O now the soul is resolved for Heaven and Glory now it crieth out Lord if there be a right eye that is offensive to thee pluck it out or a right foot cut it off or a right hand take it from me now the soul doth begin to studdy how it may honour God and bring praise to him Now the soul is for a preparation for the second coming of Christ endeavouring to lay aside every thing that may hinder And for the closing in with those things that may make it in a beloved posture against that day Fifthly And all this is from a Gospel Spirit and not from a Legal natural principle for the soul hath these things as the fruits and effects of its being separated unto the Covenant of Grace and so now possessed with that spirit that doth attend yea and dwell in them that are brought into the Covenâ—nt of Grace from under the Old Covenant I say these things do spring forth in the soul from another root and stock then any of the actings as other men do for the soul that is thus wrought upon is as well dead to the Law and the righteousness thereof as the first Covenant as well as to its sins Sixthly Now the soul begins to have some blessed experience of the things of God even of the glorious mysteries of the Gospel 1. Now it knoweth the meaning of those words My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed John 6. 55. and that by experience for the soul hath received peace of conscience through that blood by the effectual application of it to the soul. First by feeling the guilt of sin dye off from the conscienceâ— by the operation thereof Secondly by feeling the power thereof to take away the curse of the Law Thirdly By finding the very strength of Hell to fail when once the blood of the man Jesus Christ is received in reality upon the soul. 2. Now the soul also knoweth by experience the meaning of that Scripture that saith Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed Rom. 6. 6. Now it sees that when the man Jesus did hang on the tree on Mount Calvary that then the body of its sins was there hanged up dead and buried with him though it was then unborn so as never to be laid to its charge either here or hereafter and also so as never to carry it captive into perpetual bondage being it self overcome by him even Christ the head of that poor creature And indeed this is the way for a soul both to live comfortably as touching the guilt of sin and also as touching the power of the filth of sin for the soul that doth or hath received this indeed and in truth finds strength against them both by and through that man that did for him and the rest of his fellow sinners so gloriously overcome it and hath given the victory unto them so that now they are said to be overcomers nay more than conquerâ—rs through him the one man Jesus Christ Rom. 8. 33 34 35 36 37. 3. Now the soul hath received a â—aith indeed and a lively hope indeed such a one as now it can fetch strength from the fulness of Christ and from the merits of Christ. 4. Yea now the soul can look on it self with one eye and look upon Christ with another and say indeed it is true I am an empty soul but Christ is a full Christ I am a poor sinner but Christ is a rich Christ I am a foolish sinner but Christ is a wise Christ I am an unholy ungodly unsanctified creature in my self But Christ is made of God unto me wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. 5. Now also that fiery Law that it could not once endure nor could not once delight in I say now it can delight in it after the inward man now this Law is its delighe it would always be walked in it and always be delighted in it being offended with any sin or any corruption that would be any ways an hinderance to it Rom. 7. 24 25. And yet it will not edure that even that that Law should offer to take the work of its salvation out of Christs hand no if it once comes to do that then out of doors it shall go if it was as good again For that soul that hath the right work of God indeed upon it cries not my prayers not my tears not my works not my things do they come from the work of the spirit of Christ it self within me yet these shall not have the glory of my salvation no it is none but the blood of Christ the death of Christ of the man Christ Jesus of Nazareth the Carpenters Son as they called him that must have the Crown and Glory of my salvation None but Christ none but Christ and thus the soul labours to give Christ the preeminence Col. 1. 18. Now before I go any further I must needs speak a word from my own experience of the things of Christ and the rather because we have a company of silly ones in this day of ignorance that do either comfort themselves with a notion without the power or else do both reject the notion and the power of this most glorious Gospel therefore for the further conviction of the Reader I shall tell him with David something of what the Lord hath done for my soul and indeed a little of the experience of the things of Christ is far more worth than all the world It would be too tedious for me to tell thee here all from the first to the last but something I shall tell thee that thou mayest not think these things are fables Reader when it pleased the Lord to begin to instruct my soul he found me one of the black sinners of the world he found me making a sport of Oaths and also of Lies and many a soul-poysoning meal did I make out of divers Lusts as Drinking Dancing Playing Pleasure with the wicked ones of the world The Lord finding of me in this condition did open the glass of his Law unto me wherein he shewed me so clearly my sins both the greatness of them and also how abominable they were in his sight that I thought the very clouds were charged with the wrath of God and ready to let fall the very fire of his jealousie upon me yet for all this I was so wedded to my sins that thought I with my self I will have them though I lose my soul O wicked wretch that I was but God the great the rich the infinite merciful God did not take this advantage of my soul to cast me away and say then take
mark they that are under the Covenant of Grace are not under the Curse Now there are but two Covenants therefore it must needs be that they that are under the Curse are under the Law seeing those that are under the other Covenant are not under the Curse but under the Blessing So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham but the rest are under the Law Gal. 3. 9. Now I shall proceed to what I do intend to speak unto First I shall shew you what the Covenant of Works or the Law is and when it was first given together with the nature of it Secondly I shall shew you what it is to be under the Law or Covenant of Works and the miserable state of all those that are under it Thirdly I shall shew you who they are that are under this Covenant or Law Fourthly I shall shew you how far a man may go and yet be under this Covenant or Law For the first What this Covenant of Works is and when it was given The Covenant of Works or the Law here spoken of is the Law delivered on Mount Sinai to Moses in two Tables of stone in ten particular branches or heads for this see Gal. 4. The Apostle speaking there of the Law and of some also that through delusions of false Doctrine was brought again as it were under it or at least was leaning that way Verse 21. He saith As for you that desire to be under the Law I will shew you the mystery of Abrahams two Sons which he had by Agar and Sarah these two do signifie the two Covenants the one named Agar signifies Mount Sinai where the Law was delivered to Moses on two Tables of stone Exod. 24. 12. Chap. 34. 1. Deut. 10. 1. Which is that that whosoever is under he is destitute of and altogether without the Grace of Christ in his heart at the present Gal. 5. 3 4. For I testifie again to every man saith he speaking to the same People that Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law namely that given on Mount Sinai Ye are fallen from Grace That is not that any can be justified by the Law but his meaning is all those that seek justification by the Works of the Law they are not such as seek to be under the second Covenant the Covenant of Grace Also the 2 Cor. 3. 7 8. The Apostle speaking again of these two Covenants he saith For if the Ministration of Death or the Law for it is all one written and engraven in stones mark that was glorious how shall not the Ministration of the Spirit or the Covenant of Grace be rather glorious As if he had said 'T is true there was a glory in the Covenant of Works and a very great excellency did appear in it namely in that given in the stones on Sinai yet there is another Covenant the Covenant of Grace that doth exceed it for comfort and glory But secondly Though this Law was delivered to Moses from the hands of Angels in two Tables of Stone on Mount Sinai yet this was not the first appearing of this Law to Man but even this in substance tho possibly not so openly was given to the first Man Adam in the garden of Eden in these words And the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat But of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 16 17. Which Commandment then given to Adam did contain in it a forbidding to do any one of those things that was and is accounted evil although at that time it did not appear so plainly in so many particular heads as it did when it was delivered on Mount Sinai but yet the very same and that I shall prove thus God commanded Adam in Paradise to abstain from all evil against the first Covenant and not from some sins only but if God had not commanded Adam to abstain from the sins spoken against the Ten Commandments he had not commanded to abstain from all but from some therefore it must needs be that he then commanded to abstain from all sins forbidden in the Law given on Mount Sinai Now that God commanded to abstain from all evil or sin against any of the Ten Commandments when he gave Adam the Command in the Garden it is evident in that he did punish the sins that was committed against those Commands that was then delivered on Mount Sinai before they were delivered on Mount Sinai which will appear as followeth The first second and third Commandments were broken by Pharaoh and his men for they had false Gods which the Lord Executed Judgment against as in Exodus 12. 12. and blasphemed their true God Exod. 7. 17. to the end for their Gods could neither deliver themselves nor their people from the hand of God but in the things wherein they dealt proudly he was above them Exod. 18. 11. Again Some judge that the Lord punished the sin against the second Commandment which Jacob was in some measure guilty of in not purging his house from false gods with the defiling of his daughter Dinah Gen. 34. 2. Again We find that Abimelech thought the sin against the third Commandment so great that he required no other security of Abraham against the fear of mischief that might be done to him by Abraham his son and his sons son but only Abraham's Oath Gen. 21. 23. the like we see between Abimelech and Isaac Gen. 31. 53. the like we find in Moses and the Israelites who durst not leave the bones of Joseph in Egypt because of the Oath of the Lord whose Name by so doing would have been abused Exod. 13. 19. And we find the Lord rebuking his People for the breach of the fourth Commandment Exod. 16. 27 28 29. And for the breach of the fifth the Curse came upon Ham Gen. 9. 25 26 27. And Ishmael dishonouring his Father in mocking Isaack was cast out as we read Gen. 21. 9 10. The sons in law of Lot for slighting their Father perish in the overthrow of Sodom Gen. 19. 14 c. The sixth Commandment was broken by Cain and so dreadful a Curse and Punishment came upon him that it made him cry out My Punishment is greater then I can bear Gen. 4. 13. Again when Esau threatned to slay his Brother Rebecca sent him away saying Why should I be deprived of you both in one day hinting unto us that she knew Murther was to be punished with death Gen. 27. 54. Which the Lord himself declared likewise to Noah Gen. 9. 6. Again a notable Example of the Lords Justice in punishing Murther we see in the Egyptians and Pharaoh who drowned the Israelites Children in the River Exod. 1. 22. And they themselves were drowned in the Sea Exod. 14. 27. The sin against the Seventh Commandment
comes to give a discovery of that Law or Covenant he labouring to take them off from trusting in it he doth plainly tell them it is that which was given on Sinai Gal. 4. 24 25. Therefore that which was delivered in two Tables of Stone on Mount Sinai is the very same that was given before to Adam in Paradise they running both alike that in the Garden saying Do this and live but in the day tho eatest thereof or doest not do this thou shal surely die And so is this on Sinai as is evident when he saith The man that doth these things shall live by them Rom. 10. 5. and in case they break them even any of them it saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the whole book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. now this being thus cleared I shall proceed A second thing to be spoken too is this to shew what it is to be under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works to which I shall speak and that thus To be under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works it is to be bound upon pain of eternal damnation to fulfil and that compleatly and continually every particular point of the Ten Commandments by doing them do this and then thou shalt live otherwise Cursed is every one that continueth not in all in every particular thing or things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. That man that is under the first Covenant stands thus and only thus as he is under that Covenant or Law Poor souls through ignorance of the nature of that Covenant of Works the Law that they are under they do not think their state to be half so bad as it is when alas there is none in the World in such a sad condition again besides themselves for indeed they do not understand these things He that is under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works is like the man that is bound by the Law of his King upon pain of Banishment or of being Hanged Drawn and Quartered not to transgress any of the Commandeof the King So here they that are under the Covenant of Works they are bound upon pain of eternal banishment and condemnation to keep within the compass of the Law of God of Heaven The Covenant of Works may in this case be compared to the Laws of the Medes and Persians which being once made cannot be altered Dan. 6. 8. You find that when there was a Law made and given forth that none should ask a Petition of any God or Man but of the King only this Law being established by the King verse 9. Daniel breaking of it let all do whatever they can Daniel must into the Lions Den ver 16. So here I say there being a Law given and sealed with the Truth and the Word of God how that the soul that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18. 4. whosoever doth abide under this Covenant and dieth under the same they must and shall into the Lions Den nay worse then that for they shall be thrown into Hell to the very Devils But to speak in a few partculars for thy better understanding herein Know first that the Law of God or Covenant of Works doth not contain it self in one particular branch of the Law but doth extend it self into many even into all the Ten Commandments and them Ten into very many more as might be shewed so that the danger doth 〈◊〉 lie in the breaking of one or Two of these Ten only but it doth lie even in the transgression of any one of them As you know if a King should give forth ten particular commaands to be obeyed by his subjects upon pain of death now if any man doth transgress against any one of these ten he doth commit treason as if he had broke them all and 〈◊〉 liable to have the sentence of the Law as certainly passed on him as if he had broken every particular of them 2. Again you know that the Laws being given forth by the King which if a man keep and obey a long time yet if at the last he flips and breaks those Laws he is presently apprehended and condemded by that Law These things are clear as touching the Law of God as it is a Covenant of Works if a man do fulfil nine of the Commandments and yet breaketh but one that being broken will as surely destroy him and shut him out from the joys of Heaven as if he had actually transgressed against them all for indeed in effect so he hath there is a notable Scripture for this in the Epistle of James 2 Chap. at the 10 ver For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all that is he hath in effect broken them all and shall have the voice of them all cry out against him and it must needs be so saith James because he that said or that Law which said Do not commit Adultery said also do not Kill Now if thou commit no Adultery yet if thou Kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law As thus it may be thou didst never make to thy self a God of Stone or Wood or at least not to worship them so really and so openly as the Heathen do yet if thou hast stollen born false witness or lusted after a Woman in thy heart Mat. 5. 28. thou hast transgressed the Law and must for certain living and dying under that Covenant perish for ever by the Law for the Law hath resolved on that before-hand saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL things mark I pray you in all things that 's the word and that feals the Doctrine 3. Again though a Man do not covet steal murther worship gods of Wood and Stone c. yet if they do take the Lords Name in vain they are for ever gone living and dying under that Covenant Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain there is the command but how if we do then he saith The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain No though you live as holy as ever thou can'st and walk as circumspectly as ever any did yet if thou doest take the Lords Name in vain thou art gone by that Covenant For I will not mark I will not let him be in never so much danger I will not hold him guiltless that takes my Name in vain Exod. 20. 7. and so likewise for any other of the ten do but break them and thy state is irrecoverable if thou live and die under that Covenant 4. Though thou shouldest fulfil this Covenant or Law even all of it for a long time ten twenty forty fifty or threescore years yet if thou do chance to slip and break one of them but once before thou die thou art also gone and lost by that Covenant for mark Cursed is every one that
something by way of Use and Application to this first Doctrine The second Doctrine now to be spoken to is to shew that the People of God are not under the Law but under Grace For ye are not under the Law but under Grace Rom 6. 14. YOu may well remember that from these words I did observe these two great truths of the Lord. First That there are some in Gospel times that are under the Law or Covenant of Works Secondly That there is 〈◊〉 a believer under the Law or Covenant of works but under Grace I have spoken something to the former of these truths to wit that there are some under the Law together with who they are and what their condition is that are under it Now I am to speak to the second and to shew you who they are and what their condition is that are under that But before I come to that I shall speak a few words to shew you what the word GRACE in this place signifies for the word Grace in the Scripture referreth sometimes to favour with men Esther 2. 7. Gen. 39. 4. Chap. 50. 4 33 10. sometimes to holy qualifications of Saints 2 Cor. 8. 7. and sometimes to hold forth the condescension of Christ in coming down from the glory which he had with his Father before the world was to be made of no reputation and a servant to men 2 Cor. 8. 9. Phil. 2. 7. Again sometime it is taken for the free rich and unchangeable love of God to man through Jesus Christ that for our cause and sakes did make himself poor and so it is to be understood in these words For you are not under the Law to be cursed and damned and sent headlong to hell but you are under Grace to be saved to be pardoned to be preserved and kept by the mighty power of God through â—aith which alone is the gift of Grace unto eternal glory This one Scripture alone proves the same Eph. 2. 8. For by Grace you are saved by free grace by rich grace by unchangeable grace And you are saved from the curse of the Law from the power guilt and filth of sin from the power malice madness and rage of the devil from the wishes curses and desires of wicked men from the hot scalding flaming fiery furnace of hell from being arraigned as malefactors convinced judged condemned and fettered with the chains of our sins to the devils to all eternity and all this freely freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. by rich grace unchangable grace for saith he I am God and change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Mal. 3. 6. This is grace indeed The word GRACE therefore in this Scripture Rom 6. 14. is to be understood of the free love of God in Christ to sinners by vertue of the new Covenant in delwering them from the power of sin from the curse and condemning power of the Old Covenant from the destroying nature of sin by its continual workings as is all evident if you read with understanding the words as they lie For saith he sin shall not have dominion over you or it shall not domineer reign or destroy you though you have transgressed against the Covenant of works the Law and the reason is rendered in these words For ye are not under the Law that is under that which accuseth chargeth condemneth and brings execution on the soul for sin But under Grace that is under that which frees you forgives you keeps you and justifies you from all your sins adversaries or whatever may come in to lay any thing to your charge to damn you For that is truly called grace in this sense that doth set a man free from all his sins deliver him from all the curses of the Law and what else can be laid to his charge freely without any foresight in God to look at what good will be done by the party that hath offended and also that doth keep the soul by the same power through faith which also is his own proper gift unto eternal glory Again that is a pardon not conditional but freely given Consider first it is set in opposition to works You are not under the Law Secondly The promise that is made to them saying Sin shall not have dominion over you doth not run with any condition as on their part to be done but meerly and alone because they were under or because they had the Grace of God extended to them Sin shall not have dominion over you For mark the reason For you are not under the Law but under Grace The words being thus opened and the truth thus laid down how there is never a believer under the Covenant of Works but under Grade the free rich unchangeable love of God it remaineth that in the first place we prove the Doctrine and after that proceed Now in the Doctrine there is two things to be considered and proved First that believers are under Grace Secondly Not under the Law as a Covenant of works for so you must not understand me For these two we need go no further then the very words themselves the first part of the words proves the first part of the Doctrine You are not under the Law the second part proves the other But ye are under Grace But besides these consider with me a few things for the demonstrating of these truths as First They are not under the Law because their sins are pardoned which could not be if they were dealt withal according to the Law and their being under it for the Law alloweth of no repentance but accuseth curseth and condemneth every one that is under it Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. But I say believers having their sins forgiven them it is because they are under another even a New Covenant Heb. 8. 8. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with them For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more verse 4. Secondly They are not under the Law because their sins and iniquities are not only forgiven but they are forgiven them freely they that stand in the first Covenant and continue there are to have never a sin forgiven them unless they can give God a compleat satisfaction for the Law calls for it at their hands saying Pay me that thou owest O but when God deals with his Saints by the Covenant of Grace it is not so for it is said And when he saw they had nothing to pay he frankly and freely forgave them all I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely I will blot out thy transgressions for mine own sake c Luke 7. 42. Hosea 14. 4. Isaiah 43. 25. Thirdly The Saints are not under the Law because the righteousness that they stand justified before God in is not their own actual righteousness
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—
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
Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood c. Fourthly How men are to reckon it theirs and that is upon the same terms which God doth offer it which is freely as they are worthless and undeserving Creatures as they are without all good and also unable to do any good This I say is the right way of applying the merits of Christ to thy Soul for they are freely given to thee a poor Sinner nor for any thing that is in thee or done by thee but freely as thou art a Sinner and so standest in absolute need thereof And Christian thou art not in this thing to follow thy sense and feeling but the very Word of God The thing that doth do the People of God the greatest injury it is their too little hearkning to what the Gospel saith and their too much giving credit to what the Law Sin the Devil and Conscience saith and upon this very ground to conclude that because there is the certainty of guilt upon the Soul therefore there is also for certain by Sin Damnation to be brought upon the Soul This is now to set the Word of God aside and to give credit to what is sormed by the contrary but thou must give more credit to one syllable of the written Word of the Gospel than thou must give to all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and Earth much more than to the Devil and thy own guilty Conscience Let me give you a Parable There was a certain man that had committed Treason against his King but for as much as the King had Compassion upon him he sent him by the hand of a faithful Messenger a Pardon under his own Hand and Seal but in the Countrey where this poor man dwelt there was also many that sought to trouble him by often putting of him in mind of his Treason and the Law that was to be executed on the Offender Now which way should this man so honour his King but as believing his Hand-writing which was the Pardon certainly he would honour him more by so doing than to regard all the Clamours of his Enemies continually against him Just thus it is here thou having committed Treason against the King of Heaven he through Compassion for Christs sake hath sent thee a Pardon but the Devil the Law and thy Conscience do continually seek to disturb thee by bringing thy Sins afresh into thy remembrance But now wouldest thou honour thy King why then He that believeth the RECORD that God hath given of his Son hath set to his SEAL that God is true And this is the Record that God hath given to US eternal Life and this Life is in his Son 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. And therefore my Brethren seeing God our Father hath sent us damnable Traitors a Pardon from Heaven even all the Promises of the Gospel and also hath sealed to the certainty of it with the heart-blood of his dear Son let us not be daunted though our Enemies with terrible Voices do bring our former life never so often into our Remembrance Object But saith the Soul how if after I have received a Pardon I should commit Treason again What should I do then Answ. Set the case thou hast committed abundance of Treason he hath by him abundance of Pardons Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Sometimes I my self have been in such a straight that I have been almost driven to my Wits ends with a sight and sense of the greatness of my sins but calling to mind that God was God in his Mercy Pitty and Love as well as in his Holiness Justice c. And again considering the ability of the satisfaction that was given to Holiness and Justice to the end there might be way made for Sinners to lay hold of this Mercy I say I considering this when tempted to doubt and despair I have answered in this manner Lord here is one of the greatest Sinners that ever the the ground bare A Sinner against the Law and a Sinner against the Gospel I have sinned against Light and I have sinned against Mercy and now Lord the guilt of them breaks my heart the Devil also he would have me despair telling of me that thou art so far from hearing my Prayers in this my distress that I cannot anger thee worse then to call upon thee for saith he thou art resolved for ever to damn and not to grant me the least of thy favour yet Lord. I would fain have forgiveness And thy word though much may be inferred from it against me yet it saith If I come unto thee thou wilt in no wise cast me out Lord shall I honour thee most by believing thou canst pardon my Sins or by believing thou canst not Shall I honour thee most by believing thou wilt pardon my Sins or by believing thou wilt not Shall I honour the Blood of thy Son also by despairing that the vertue thereof is not sufficient or by believing that it is sufficient to purge me from all my blood-red and crimson Sins surely thou that couldest find so much Mercy as to pardon Manasseh Mary Magdalen the three thousand Murderers persecuting Paul Murderous and Adulterous David and blaspheming Peter thou that offeredst Mercy to Simon Magus a Witch and didst receive the Astrologers and Conjurers in the nineteenth of Acts thou hast Mercy enough for one poor sinner Lord set the case my Sins were bigger than all these and I less deserved Mercy than any of these yet thou hast said in thy word that he that cometh to thee thou wilt in no wise cast out And God hath given comfort to my Soul even to such a Sinner as I am and I tell you there is no way so to honour God and to beat out the Devil as to stick to the truth of Gods Word and the merits of Christs Blood by believing When Abraham believed even against hope and reason he gave Glory to God Rom. 4. And this is our Victory even our Faith Believe and all things are possible to you He that believeth shall be saved He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life and shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my Fathers Hands 1. Joh. 5. 4. And if thou dost indeed believe this thou wilt not only confess him as the Quakers do That is that he was born at Bethlehem of Mary suffered on Mount Calvary under Pontius Pilate was Dead and Buried Rose again and Ascended 〈◊〉 For all this they confess and in the midst of their confession they do verily deny that his Death on that Mount Calvary did give satisfaction to God for the Sins of the World and that his Resurrection out of Josephs Sepulchre is the cause of our Justification in the sight
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
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