Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	lord_n	redeemer_n	2,002	5	9.8210	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96661	Mount Ebal levell'd or Redemption from the curse. Wherein are discovered, 1. The wofull condition of sinners under the curse of the law. 2. The nature of the curse, what it is, with the symptomes of it, in its properties, and effects. 3. That wonderful dispensation of Christs becoming a curse for us. 4. The grace of redemption, wherein it stands, in opposition to some gross errors of the times, which darken the truth of it. 5. The excellent benefits, priviledges, comforts, and engagements to duty, which flow from it. By Elkanah Wales, M.A. preacher of the Gospel at Pudsey in York-shire.	Wales, Elkanah, 1588-1669.	1658 (1658)	Wing W294; Thomason E1923_1; ESTC R209971	189,248	382

26.70 c. yet the Lord Jesus passed by all these provocations and he became both a witness of his sufferings and a partaker of the glory to be revealed Acts 13.9 1 Pet. 5.1 Saul who was also called Paul did not onely reject Christ and the tender of Salvation by him but also was injurious a persecuter a blasphemer plaid the mad man against the Saints and compelled them to blaspeme Might not Paul have despaired of favour and said surely God will plead the cause of his Justice against me he will never put up such high affronts against mercie But we hear no such language No the grace of our Lord saith he was exceeding abundant c. 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Herein he was set for a pattern to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 16. Let the same minde be in us 2. For the latter The converted soule who is actually made partaker of the grace of Redemption and all his scores cleared as to his estate of unregeneracy yet even he may see matter of discomfort by reason of 〈◊〉 1. It s presence or in dwelling Oh saith the Godly soul I feel a lump of sinne still ●●●●ing in me there is a troublesome Inmate that still hampers me a continual dropping 〈◊〉 ●o●ome-enemy which besets and clogs 〈◊〉 wofully it is as near me as my very bowels I cannot be quiet for it if I lie down or if I rise up if I go forth or if I come in it is still about me In the business and imployments of my ordinary calling it't ' puting in an oar and in performance of Religious duties but it act's with all its might raising up oftentimes such base passions and lusts as like a malignant East-winde are ready to blast my best fruits Oh sad complaint But pause a while and take one thing with another Thou thinkest thou art still under the Curse while the case is thus with thee but it is not so The great designe of thy Redeemer in destroying sinne and delivering thee from it doth not take place fully whilest thou art in this mortality His meaning was not to remove it wholly out of thy soul so as no footstep of it should remain but onely to take away the sting and deadly ruining power of it for the present The total abolishing of it must be a gradual work not to be perfected till thou shalt put on incorruption Thy happiness here stands not in the not having sin but in the Lords not imputing of sin through the satisfaction of Christ It is the wisedome of our heavenly Father thus to exercise those whom he prepares to be vessels of mercy He will have their remaining time here to be a warfare that they may know the fellowship of Christs sufferings He was burthened with thy sin and could not be rid of it till death thou must be conformed to thine head and make account it will be thy neighbour while thou art in the body But remember that while thou art yoked with this body of sin and groaning under it thy Redeemer hath compassion on thee If the Canaanite be in the Land he will be a thorn in Israels side yet he shall not prevail Holy Paul had a law in his members which led him captive to the law of sin and made him cry out Oh miserable man yet even then he can thank God in the view of full deliverance by Christ Rom. 7.21 23 c. Thine head is now conforming thee to himselfe and will not cease till hee hath wrought out thy victory with triumph 2 It is prevalency or domineering Oh! if I had it under I could have some ground of comfort but alas it is exceeding masterful it doth not onely lead but hold me captive Oh! how doth sin rage within me Strong lusts like the Anakims If there be any grace in me any thing of the new man it is but as a grashopper in comparison of a Gyant One cryes out of the lust of the flesh which soon kindles and gets up into a flame of inclination to bodily uncleanness Another of the lust of the eyes in too eager desires after the world A third of pride of life in ambitious aspirings after great things A fourth of rash anger which bears him down as with the stream and puts him upon unseemly language and carriage And although I pray and strive against my lust saith the Christian yet it still ever and anon gets the upper hand I have been overtaken with a gross sin I have fallen into it again and again yea I have sinned willingly against knowledge and with delight I fear I shall one day perish by the hand of sin But stay a while and hearken what the Lord will speak to thee It is a sad thing that Christs free-man should be so hankled in a snare and so trampled under the feet of a masterful lust and more sad if he should lay under the power and command of a gross sin in the actual committing of it yet there is hope in Israel concerning this Onely take notice that I have no designe to bolster up the sinner in his way of inquity my endeavour is to speak peace to the disconsolate Saint I say then thou art not alone poor soul others of the Lords people have been and may be in this very condition Noah foulely overcome with wine yet commended by God himself to be a righteous man Sampson intangled in the love of one Harlot after another yet numbred among those which by faith obtained a good report David deeply implunged into those two gross sinnes Adultery and murder and abiding under the guilt of them a long time yet who among all the Lords Worthies registred in Scripture was comparable to him There were sacrifices in the Law for sins against knowledge as well as sins of ignorance A man that was grievously infected with the Leprosie Levit. 6.1 2 6 7. Levit. 13. ● 14 4 c. had means of cleansing at hand as well as he that was defiled with ordinary uncleanness The blood of the Redeemer can purge all sorts of sins and therefore the mercy of God doth reach out to pardon all Exod. 34.7 Is thy sin in too great power Remember that Christ crucified is the power of God he will break the head of Leviathan he came to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 Hast thou sinned willingly and with delight Jesus Christ delighted to do his Fathers will Ps 40.8 he suffered willingly for thy sin The Lord sometimes gives lust and sin leave to rage and master his servants for a season but it shall not totally prevail Although thy corruptions be as the sons of Zeruiah to David too hard for thee yet if the bent of thy soul bee against them if thou fightest against them with the heart of an enemy thou shalt at last bee conquerour over them through the Cross of Christ See the promise Rom. 6.14 3 The advantage which Justice might get against him by

doe this and they doe it He blinds their minds hardens their hearts and works in them powerfully Eph. 2.2 Indeed they spitt at him and say they defie him yet neverthelesse they are his drudges and carry his pack and doe his worke And while they professe that they scorne to serve him yet even then they serve him willingly and with both their hands Oh miserie beyond all expression 3. Unfruitfulness towards God He may complaine of Mankind as once of Israel Jer. 2.21 I had planted the a noble Vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto me All our fruit is fruit unto death we can bring forth no fruit unto God The curse of the Law hath blasted us we are as it were Thunder-struck and made unserviceable We can doe nothing that is truly good or wel pleasing to God Rom. 8.8 When Christ came neere to the figtree and saw nothing on it but leavs he cursed it and then it withered Mat. 21.19 So the Lord seeing Adam and his posteritie now by their Apostasie become degenerate plants pronounced a curse upon them saying Never fruit grow on you any more and so we are become no better than withered stumps Thou thinkest that thou dost good duties this and that good work thou hadst thy hand in such and such good fruits thou canst shew but alas it s nothing so thou art a drie and a barren tree 4. Liablenes to all the plagues and judgments of God The curse setts us in such a posture as we are continually exposed to some mischiefe or other The ground which brings forth bryars and thornes being neere unto cursing its end is to be burned Heb. 6.8 The foolishman thinks his tongue is his owne to use as he will Psal 12.4 But Solomon tells him his mouth is neere to destruction Pro. 10.14 See Ezech. 7.5 6 7. 2. Pet. 2.3 Speaking of false Teachers he saith their judgment lingers not but is hastening on its way their damnation slumbreth not it keeps waking to seize on them in due time And indeed what is it that hindreth vengeance from falling on sinners but onely the Lords patience Tha● consuming fire is at hand readie to lick thee up and to destroy thee there is but one stepp betwixt thee and death The Lord might forthwith stop thy breath an● then thou art gone for ever the ladder i● every moment like to be turned tho● hangest but by one weake threed and whe● that is broken then thou droppest into th● flames of hell 5. Punishing sinne with sinne a very sad effect of the curse when the Lord hath determined to set home the curse upon a sinner with a witnesse then he leaves him to himself for his former provocations either to run himself deeper into the same sinnes or else to fall into more vile and vicious courses and so to heap up wrath against himself As sometimes a father saith of an hopeless child Seeing he will not be reclaymed let him take his course let him run himself out of breath and hasten to his owne ruine Thus he scourged the Gentiles for their wilde courses against the light of Nature Rom. 1.26.28 And the Jewes for their contempt of the word Psal 81.11 12. And their opposing the Gospell 1. Thes 2.15 16. Thus the Lord deales with many of the secure sleepie sinners they give no regard to the offer of mercie therefore the Lord shutts them up in ignorance and saith let him that is ignorant filthy carnall be so still they are not bettered by mercies or judgments therefore they shall be made worse The close deceiver becomes a grosse robber and God gives him over to lying swearing forswearing c. The immoderate use of the creatures becomes grosly riotous God gives him up to beastly drunkenness mispending of his time wasting his estate yea sometimes to wantonness and bodily filthyness to hatred yea scorning of good counsel and the like abhominable practices 6. Hellish terrours startlings of conscience feare of death and of the Judgment to come These are the sparkles which flie up out of these everlasting burnings while the furnace is in heating to devoure the ungodly of the earth Isa 33.14 Fearfulness surprizeth the hypocrites Heb. 2.15 It s one maine branch of mans naturall miserie that through feare of death he is all his life subject unto bondage Act. 24.25 When the Aostle Paul preached of the Judgment to come Felix trembled The sinner feeles many a privie nippe while he is walking on in the wayes of his owne heart he hath gripings in his spirit that torment him and he feeles the flashing of hell fire sometimes in his conscience so that he is appaled with the foresight of the wrath to come His heart smites him and tels him that Vengeance lyes in wait for him because of ignorance drunkenness contempt of the Gospell c. The thoughts of death and judgment damp him and strike him to the heart and he saith oh I must once goe downe into the dust what shall then become of this poore soule * Animula vagula blandula Quae nunc ab●bis in loca I must be brought to judgment how shall such a sinful wretch as I look the great Judge of heaven and earth in the face Alas poore sinner thou settest a good face on the matter before men but thy heart knowes that it is thus 2. The strange properties or qualities of the curse Strange properties of the Curse are especially these 5. I call them strange because 1. Most of them lie out of the road of the naturall mans apprehension and beliefe they are hid from his eyes he will not easily be perswaded of them 2. Yea the godly themselves doe not so clearly discerne nor so carefully observe or make use of them as they might 1. It is a grievous and a bitter curse Can there be any thing more grievous and bitter than the abandoning of the creature from God It was a very girevous curse which Shimei the Benjamite shott against King David as David himself termes it 1. Kin. 2.8 A strong sore forcible curse so the originall word signifies How much more rightly may all this be spoken of the curse of Gods Royall Law When the Angel of the Lord would measure out a curse against the Merozites according to the bredth of their sinne he bids curse them bitterly Jud. 5.23 Gods curse against sinners is bitter Jer. 4.18 It s made up of gall and worme-wood * Ier. 8.14.9.15 When Solomon would give warning of the danger which may come by the ensnaring of an whorish woman he tells us that in his owne experience he finds her more bitter than death Eccl. 7.26 If he had knowne any thing more bitter he would have mentioned it Now the curse of the Law is the death 〈◊〉 ●he sinner Gen. 2.17 The curse of the people upon Merciles self-seeking persons is grievous it bites sore Pro. 11.26 28.27 Oh

the consequent of his great sufferings which are largely described before Isa 52.14 15. the Lords servant shall have his visage marred by a deep humiliation yet he shall sprinkle many nations God gives Christ for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles to bring out the prisoners from the prison Isa 42.6 7. There was a famous prophesie of the shining of great light upon the people that walked in darkness Isa 9.2 this was fulfilled when Christ sojourned in Capernaum Matt. 4.13 14. By the blood of Christ the middle wall of partition being broken down those that were far off are made near Eph. 2.13 14. and so no more strangers but fellow-citizens with the Saints vers 19.20 therefore Christ having said I lay down my life for my sheep presently adds I have other sheep which are not of this fold them also I must bring c. John 10.15.16 This is a great priviledge and so to be accounted The Apostle Paul calls upon us gentiles to glorifie God for his mercy Rom. 15.9 c. for alas what would have becomed of us sinners of the Gentiles if this Redemption had not opened a door of hope we had been left as dead bones altogether helpless and undone for ever 2. It s the foundation of that general Covenant which God is pleased to strike with all those whom he makes willing to come in and to joyn themselves unto him in a visible profession of his name and with their seed both of old among the Jews and now with all nations to whom he sends the Gospel The Apostle Peter presseth the men of Judea and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to a thorough entertaining of Christ by this argument because the promise is general Acts 2.38 39. which implies that Christ crucified is the basis of the Covenant Circumcision was a visible sign of the external Covenant whereby God owned the Jewish nation for his people above all others therefore it s called the Covenant it self Gen. 17.10 11 13. and Baptisme now is a visible sign of it to all those throughout the world which submit to the Gospel Both these institutions have reference to Christ as the inward marrow and substance of them for we are said to be circumcised in Christ and by the circumcision of Christ and to be buried and raised again with him in Baptisme Col. 2.11 12. Assuredly if the Lord Jesus had not undertaken to buy out sinners from the curse by becoming a curse for them there had been no such thing as a Covenant God would never have owned any of the sons of men in order to eternal life no nor so much as have suffered them to be called by his name But now by the work of Redemption all that are retainers to Christ in the visible Church though strangers to the life of grace have some kinde of right to all Church-ordinances Jus ad rem if not in re and are allowed a share in sundrie boons of favour they may get a general acquaintance with Christ and attain to some common graces whereby it may go better with them and they are nearer the kingdome of God than those that are mere strangers Oh take heed of slighting this mercie If the Lord will vouchsafe to own you and your seed in the way of a Covenant thereby making you in some degree capable of the choisest good things even heaven and eternal life you may thank your redeemer for this and if you do not improve it to better proficiency to raise you to an higher forme in his school and kingdome it will make a sad reckoning one day 3. It shall be by the all-sufficient merit and vertue of the grace of redemption that the people of the Jews once the people of God but now rejected and under wrath for their unbelief and hatred against the Lord Jesus shall be called to the knowledge of the truth and obtain mercy and the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in to make up one glorious Church and new Jerusalem There be many excellent promises in the writings of the Prophets which hold forth both these The restauration of the Lords ancient people is plainly foretold in those texts which I have formerly made use of on other occasions Isa 59.20 21. compared with Rom. 11.26 27. The Apostle cleares the meaning of that prophesie and applies it to the calling of the Jews Psal 69.35 36. God will save Zion and will build the Cities of Judah c. Isa 24.22 23. the prisoners shall be visited after many dayes and the Lord of hosts shall raign in mount Zion c. see also Jer. 30.8.9 and 18. Ezek. 20.34 37 40. c. This is lively represented by the resurrection of the drie bones Ezech. 7.31.1.14 The coming in of the Gentiles is spoken of Isa 60.3 4 c. and 66.19 20. c. Rev. 21.10 11 24 c. zach 8.20 c. all this flowes from the Redemption which is in Christ Isa 11.10 11 12. the root of Jess shall stand up for an ensigne both to the Jews and Gentiles Jer. 50.33 34. Israel and Judah are held captives but their Redeemer the Lord of hosts is strong and will thoroughly plead their cause c. Zach. 9 11. it is by the blood of the Churches Covenant that the Lord sends forth her prisoners out of the pit Zach. 10.8 yea the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn for him Mal. 4.2 Zach. 12.10 the white robes of those which came out of great tribulation were washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7.14 which our Brightman referrs to the calling of the Jews Oh how glorious shall those times be when the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold Isa 30.26 and he that is feeble among them shall be as David c. Zach. 12.8 Let us long for this day and have it much on our hearts Pray the Lord to bring again the captivity of his people and to plant them upon their Land to send forth watchmen which may call upon the Shulamite to return Amos 9.14 15. Can. 6.13 and to stirr up remembrancers which may give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isa 62.6 7. 4. The overflowings of this glorious work do reach even to the bettering of the whole Creation The whole company of reasonable creatures Angels and Men are the purpose of Jesus Christ he hath bought them into his own hands to be their Lord to possess command and dispose of them at his pleasure He commanded not onely the windes and the Sea and they obeyed him but also the evil Spirits and they owned his authority Matth. 8.27 Luke 4.35 36. He bought even those that denyed him 2 Pet. 2.1 God's patience towards the wicked preservation of them provision for them

determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God The hands whereby he was taken crucified and slain were wicked hands yet those hands therein did that very thing which the hand and counsel of God determined before to be done Act. 2.23 4.28 Therefore he is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 that is 1. In respect of Gods eternal purpose manifested by the promise made in Paradise That the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 And 2. Of the efficacie of his death upon all the Elect from the beginning of the world although the world was four thousand years old before he was actually slain It is observable that the Scripture ascribes the dispensation of this whole work to God the Father as the first moover and sovereign Manager of it He laid on him our iniquity Isa 53.6 He made him to be sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 He set him forth Rom. 3.25 He sent him Rom. 8.3 Gal. 4.4 It pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa 53.10 The Lord calls on the sword Zach. 13.7 to awake and smite his Shepherd the man that is his fellow he means Jesus Christ God-man who is equal to the Father as God but inferiour to him as man appointed to be the great Shepherd of the sheep the Lords little flock But saith the Lord I will smite the Shepherd Symbol Athanas●● The application of this Prophesie we have Matth. 26.31 2 Christs voluntary condescention thereunto Joh. 14.31 having disavowed Satans power over him he professeth his own willingness and that from a principle of love to do that which his Father had commanded him Compare this with Joh. 10.18 where he saith I lay down my life of my self c. And it will appear that this was his own act to be made a Curse for us in that he did freely and of his own accord submit to his Fathers Commandment touching the laying down of his life God the Father made him perfect by sufferings Heb. 2.10 and he sanctified himself Joh. 17.19 by preparatory sufferings first and then by offering up himself even as the Priests in the Law were first sanctified by the sprinkling of blood upon them and then they offered for the sins of the people Exod. 29.20 21. He gave himself for our sins Gal. 1.4 He made himself of no reputation He took on himself the form of a servant he humbled himself and became obedient c. Phil. 2.7 8. yea although he knew before what was his Fathers will and his own duty yet by the sufferings themselves he learned obedience that is he came experimentally to know as a man what it is to obey and how hard a thing it is for the creature to grapple with the wrath of the Almighty and to submit to the pleasure of his justice in conflicts with the second death Vide Bezam Pareum Gerhardum in Locum Heb. 5.8 His willingness appears further by his setting his face stedfastly to go to Jerusalem when the time of his suffering drew near Luke 9.51 by his taking up Peter very sharply for discouraging and dis-swading him from it Matth. 16.22 23. and by his speech to him at his apprehension when he had cut off the ear of Malchus The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Joh. 18.11 3 A compact or agreement solemnly made betwixt God and Christ the Mediator which is the result of the two former Gods Commandement and Christs obedience We may present it to our understanding in this form God the Father saith to Christ the Mediator I look upon Adam and his posterity as a degenerate seed a generation of Apostates and back-sliders yea Traitors and Rebels liable to my severest wrath and utterly undone yet I cannot finde in my heart to see them all perish I have determined to shew mercy upon a considerable number of them to save them and bring them to glory If therefore thou wilt undertake for them becoming a Curse in their stead and so making satisfaction to my justice for their sins I will give them unto thee to take care of them and to bring them up to my Kingdome for the manifestation of the glory of my grace Well saith Christ I am content I will do it with all my heart and so the agreement is made This may be gathered from Psal 2.7 8 9. and Psal 40.6 7 8. Christ the Son speaks in both places In the former he publisheth the Decree or Ordinance of heaven touching himself and bringeth in the Father installing him into the Priesthood or office of Mediator for so the Apostle applieth that Text Heb. 5.5 Thou art my Son c. and also avouching this Covenant and agreement in the two main parts of it 1 The Condition which he will have performed on Christs part or what Christ must do He must ask of God that is not onely verbally by prayers and supplications beg mercy pardon righteousness and salvation for poor lost sinners but also really by fulfilling the righteousness of the Law both in doing and suffering and so by his satisfaction and merit purchasing acceptation for them at his hands 2 The Promise which he ingageth to perform on his part or what he will do himself thereupon The Son must ask and the Father will give he will give him the heathen c. that is he shall both be the Lords salvation to the ends of the earth Isa 49. ●6 M●t. 28.18 Phil. 2.10 11. and have all power given him in heaven and earth so that all knees shall bow to him and every tongue shall confess him to be Lord. In the other Text before mentioned Psal 40. Christ declares his compliance to the agreement and his subscribing the Covenant on his part when he came into the world as the Apostle explains it Heb. 10.5 c. Mine ears saith he hast thou digged or pierced Lo I come to do thy will as if he should say Oh Father thou dost ingage me to be thy servant in this great work of saving sinners Lo I come to do the work I here covenant and agree to yeeld up my self to thy disposing and to serve thee for ever It seems to be an allusion to the Masters boaring through the servants ear Exod. 21.6 we have an abridgement of this Agreement Isa 53.10 in both parts Si posuerit sacrificium pro reatu animam suam or Si posuerit sacrificium anima e●us 1 On Christs part his soul shall be made an offering for sin 2. On the Fathers part he promiseth that thereupon Christ shall see his seed he shall have a numerous spiritual posterity begetting and bringing many thousands to the obedience of his Father Yea further vers 11. So ample shall be the fruit of his sufferings that he shall be satisfied in seeing the travel of his soul he shall have abundant joy and contentment even in that which hath cost him dearest he shall justifie many poor guilty

Christ testifies of the woman that was a sinner that her sinnes which were many are forgiven her Luke 7.47 Be thy sinnes never so many if they fill a roll that reacheth from the East to the West or from earth to heaven they can but wrap thee in the curse and Christ hath taken upon him the whole curse that he might redeem thee from it If thou hast multiplied to sin God will multiply to pardon Isa 55.7 he will cast all our iniquities into the depths of the Sea Mic. 7.19 If thou shouldest fill a thousand baskets with sand and cast them all into the midst of the Sea the waves would so sweep them all away that no remnant of them would appear so the streames of Christ's blood are able to wash away thy manifold sinnes that not one of them shall remain When the dew is fallen upon the ground thou mayest see infinite millions of drops but when the Sun breaks out and shines in its strength it licks up and scatters them all in a very short time and thou seest not one left So the Sonne of righteousness can dispel thy numberless transgressions as a cloud or a mist that they cannot be found Isa 44.22 Jer. 50.20 3. Long continuance in the state and trade and under the guilt and power of sin Oh I am a sinner of a long standing I am old and aged in sin Ierem. 2.33 Ier. 22.21 Eze. 23.43 I am soaked in iniquity I have served many apprentiships in it and am grown gray-headed I have drawn out a long train of vanitie and sin as it were with cartropes Isa 5.18 Methinks I feel the guilt of it so sodered into my spirit by dayly custome that it cannot be plucked out But stay a while poor soul if the Lord hath begun to draw thy heart to seek an interest in the grace of Redemption let not this dismay thee Although thou hast spent all thy dayes in a course of sin spun out a long thread of iniquity lived under guilt even to the age of Methuselah yet the Redemption that is in Christ is richly able to set the free He to whom a thousand years are but as one day can take of thy guilt of 1000 years standing There were means for cleansing an old Leprosie of long continuance and sacrifices to be offered to that end Lev. 13.11 and 14.2 The Israelites after the death of every Judge returned to their old trade of sin and ceased not from their stubborne way Judg. 2.19 Yet the Lord stirred them up Saviours still and though thou hast continued long in sin yet Christ continues still a Saviour The sinner that is 100 year old is accursed Isa 65.20 but the curse which thy Redeemer did undergoe is strong enough to shatter in peices the most inveterable curse and to turn it into a blessing The removal of guilt so deeply rivetted into thy soul by length of time seems to thee impossible but to him all things are possible To shut up this I would have the humbled soul to resolve thus Christ Jesus hath offered up himself to God through the eternal spirit and wherefore thus surely that he might by his blood purge my conscience from dead works and so deliver my soul from that eternal guilt and curse wherein it is intrapped Heb. 9.4 4. The advantage which Justice might have against the sinner for rejecting or neglecting the offer and season of grace Oh how often hath the Lord made a render of salvation to me by the Gospel how affectionately hath he invited me to come in and to take hold on the strength of this great Redeemer yet I have resisted the spirit and trampled this great grace under my feet or at least slighted it shamefully therefore I have cause to fear that the time is past and that mercy shall never reach to my soul Had I thoroughly closed at the first call or seen some reasonable time to lay down armes and submit I could hope that the Lord would have passed by all my former offences But that he should now accept me after the abuse of so much mercy such unprofitableness under his ordinances strong opposition against grace so unweariedly offered and settling my self on the lees of mine old sinful condition contrary to the light which I had received this is quite beyond mine expectation These and the like aggravating circumstances cannot but exasperate divine Justice and even compel it to vindicate its own honour and to avenge it self on such a notorious wretch as I am Surely the Lord hath determined to glorifie himself in my finall condemnation Thus the poor afflicted soul is apt to plead against its interest in this redemption But oh my dear heart be not so peremptory open thine eyes thou shalt see mercy glorying against Judgement James 2.13 None of these aggravations shall obstruct the sweet fruit of this glorious benefit but it shall break through them all True it is one of the Lords ends in suffering sin to abound and shewing forth so much patience to sinners is the manifesting of his Justice upon the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 as in the case of Pharaoh Exod. 9.16 But what is this to thee who hast laid down thine armes and art gasping for mercie He hath another and a more desirable end in respect of thee namely that grace may much more abound and may raign thorough righteousness unto life Rom. 5.20 21. And what wilt thou say if the glory which he gets by delivering thee from the curse be double to that which he might have by leaving thee under it By this he onely glorifies his justice but by the former he glorifies both his justice and mercy this in rescuing thee from guilt and wrath that in laying the curse upon his onely Son that mercy might have free way to serve thee Why then dost thou not rather conclude thus surely the Lord which doth all things for his own glory will more regard a greater then a lesser glory my unbelieving heart saith it will be his choicest glory to destroy me being guiltie of such foul rebellions But the mercy of the redeemer saith No not so I have borne the whole curse for thee that justice might have no advantage by thy rebellion therefore I will rather raise up my glory by thy deliverance The Jews did alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Acts 7.51 and trample the grace of God under their feet even to the shedding of the blood of the Son of God yet a great number of them are and shall be ransomed by the merit of that same blood which they shed Zach. 12 1● 13 1● Ioh. 6.9 Peter having plainly confessed that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God Matt. 16.16 yet shortly after he rebukes Christ for speaking of his suffering and death vers 22. whereby although ignorantly he opposed the work of redemption and when the time of suffering came he disowned him with swearing and cursing Matth.

reason of frequent neglects faylings wandrings swarvings from the rule of the word since his conversion Oh saith the godly soul I can do nothing aright how often do I miscarry in the manner motives and ends of obedience Methinks I am fettered that I cannot go a foot pace much less run in the way of Gods Commandements To some kinde of evill ready and free enough to some kinde of good too often dead and sluggish If I be redeemed indeed why am I thus or what comfort can I have in the work of Redemption while I am in this case Doth the prisoner when he is released feel the shackles still on his legs If Christ by undergoing the curse of my former bondage hath brought me into liberty why am I still in bondage who shall answer for me now or where is the ransome for it But now consider if these distempers are the unavoidable workings of remaining corruption which cannot be wholly shaken off The best Saints may finde in themselves an indisposedness to good and forwardness to evil especially about those things which are most spiritual and require much self-denial in their carnal and earthly interest of ease credit and other outward enjoyments as in a constant course of secret prayer private reproof of others upon just occasion acknowledging a miscarriage to their own disgrace putting up wrongs for the maintaining of peace and such like Why is thy heart dejected for that which is the common lot of all the godly Thou mayest think it is well that the Lord hath not left thee to grosser sins and although thou hast many failings yet the Lord looks upon thee according to thy better part he will own his own grain in the midst of much chaffe And here is the crown of thy comfort Christ Jesus hath offered a sacrifice for every one that erreth and for him that is simple Ezek. 45.20 and he can reasonably bear with the ignorant and those that are out of the way Heb. 5.2 and he will carry on his work in thy soul till thy sinful distempers bee wholly subdued and thou shalt have no more cause to complaine Sect. 2. Comfort against inward terrours reproaches of men and outward afflictions 2. AGainst inward fears and terrours of conscience arising from sense of guilt and liableness to Gods displeasure Even the Lords redeemed may have shrewd remainders of the spirit of bondage upon them their spirits are sometimes startled and terrified with the fear or feeling of Divine wrath God lets Satan loose against them to bring their old sins to remembrance or to roar upon them as a Lion for new miscarriages And when he meets with a timorous unbeleeving heart he plies it so long with his fiery darts till at length he bereaves the sinner of all comfort Sometimes he is dejected and laid low in the sight of his own vileness Sometimes he is tossed and disquieted as the Sea with storms and tempests Sometimes he is even swallowed up with waves of soul-trouble as a ship ready to sink so that Satan seems to have his will of him Lam. 3.18 and he saith My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. A sad and unwelcome business I confess yet many of Gods dear servants have been thus put to it as both Scripture and experience do testifie Job complains that God held him for his enemy and made him to possess the iniquities of his youth Job 13.24 26. and therefore the poyson of his arrows did drink up his spirit and the terrours of God did set themselves in array against him Iob 19.25 Chap. 6.4 yet elsewhere he professeth his faith in the Redeemer David cries out that Gods arrows stuck so fast in him and his hand pressed him so sore that there was no soundness in his flesh nor rest in his bones Psal 38.3 4. The like we may see in Heman the Ezrahite Psal 88.3 6 7 14 15 c. But let the afflicted soul now have recourse to this harbour of Redemption and there he shall finde good shelter against all these storms What hast thou to fear save the curse of the Law why but that is removed and gone Thy Surety hath freed thee from it by making an end of thy sins No sin no curse If the Lord hide his face and frown upon thee it will bee for a moment for a small moment but he will return and with everlasting kindness have mercy on thee And for this thy Redeemer hath ingaged his word Isa 54.7 8. As for Satan that Lion of hell when he can neither hold nor recover his prisoners it is his next policy to disquiet them and to make their lives uncomfortable But tell him that thou art Christs devoted servant by vertue of a dear ransome and he hath nothing in thee neither shall hee rule in thy conscience he may go lash and torment his own marked slaves but thou art out of his reach And if the Lord and Satan do still pursue thy soul with terrours remember that thy Master Christ hath drunk of this bitter cup before thee and be assured that he will plead thy cause with his Father and at length he will take that roaring Lion under-hand and rend him as he would rend a Kid as it is said of Sampson Judg. 14.6 Know it dear Christian for thy comfort there are no storms in heaven 3 Against the cursings evill speakings reproaches contradictions of the men of the world Their tongues are set on fire of hell and they are very eloqu●nt in the hellish art of cursed language especially against the Lords Redeemed ones smiting them with bitter words and heaping upon them the basest indignities which either the Devil can suggest or their malicious hearts invent Hast thou been acquainted with such unwelcome salutations Do thy prophane neighbours open their mouthes against thee And dost thou hear the words of cursing and bitterness yet be not troubled at it These arrows though they be very sharp and sent from a strong arm yet they shall not reach to pierce thy heart these coals of Juniper though they keep in the fire a whole year yet thou needest not fear scorching by them the malignity of them is taken away by the grace of Redemption If the curse of Gods righteous Law be voided to thee much more is the curse of mans unrighteous law If the Lord hath reversed and disanulled his just sentence passed against thee in heaven will he suffer the unjust sentence of sinful man on earth to stand in force against thee If the curse which is deserved shall not come much less shall that which is causeless Prov. 26.2 Say thou to God as David Let them curse but bless thou Psal 109.28 thou mayest hope that the Lord will requite thee good for their cursing as 2 Sam. 16.12 when the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt and upon their way to the promised Land Balaam was hired to curse them but the Lord turned the curse into a