and other Ministers of the Word yet the business was Gods and Christs God did beseech by them they prayed in Christs stead Secondly here is considerable the Petition it self the thing requested and treated for and that is that man would be at love peace and friendship with God that he would be obedient to him the request is that they would be reconciled to God Thirdly here is considerable the argument or reason that the Ministers are to use and urge as to make them successful in their Embassie to make them prevalent with men for reconciliation and it is an argument of great force aptly able by Gods assistance to work the deadliest hatred and enmity that ever was against God to friendship and reconciliation for saith he he who knew no sin a Dicitur Christus noÌ„ novisse peccatum phrasi Scripturae quia peccatum nullum Fecit id est adeo fuit à peccato alienus ac si prorsus peccatum ignoraret Estius i. e. that never sinned was made sin for us b Was made sin for us 1. As he was made a sacrifice for sin For the sin-offerings in the old Testament were called sin 2. By imputation because our sins were charged upon him but he had not sin in his nature i. e. under-went the punishment due to us for all our sins that we might be made the righteousness of God in him i. e. that we through him through his sufferings might be quit and freed from all our sins we were about to commit and that were then present with and foreseen by God For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him c Righteousness of God 1. Righteous by such a righteousness as God requireth 2. He saith in the abstract we are righteousness it self that is perfectly and fully righteous 3. We are made so in him not in ourselves inherently Not the essential righteousness of Christ that is infinite that were to make a creature a God but the righteousness according to the Law to which the God-head of Christ though it was wrought in the humane Nature gave an efficacy or excellency Legh in loc The words thus divided and expounded the general doctrine is this Gener. Doct. The great concernment and duty of men more especially of them that hear the Gospel but most especially of them that have tasted or do profess they have tasted the goodness of God in Christ I say their great concernment and duty is to bear themselves loving and friendly towards God that is walking in all obedience and holy conversation here is ground for it the Apostle saith that this is the main business that God and Christ have with their Redeemed for this is the whole imployment of the Ministers sayes the Apostle we pray ye in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God This doctrine being at large proved and divers waies applied we looked over the parts of the text for particular observations and out of the two first particulars was gathered this Lesson That man Doctrine yea the very elect of God whilest abiding in their natural condition they are at enmity hatred and displeasure with God himself they walk as men angry with God Here is ground for the observation God and Christ do send Embassadors to treat with them for reconciliation they solicit and wâ—o them to be at love and peace with them which necessarily implyes an enmity a distance We pray ye in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God Upon this doctrine I insisted long and handled before the generall proposition as being somewhat preparatory to it This done I went to peruse the last branch in the text for particular observations contained in these words For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And as to this I considered the words two ways either absolutely or relatively Considered absolutely and in themselves I gathered these doctrinal conclusions First that Christ Jesus our Saviour truly man as well as verily God Doct. 1 was perfectly righteous free from all pollution and defilement by sin original and actual here is ground for it he who knew no sin this was passed over untouched The second doctrinal conclusion was this Christ Jesus in the time of his humiliation and abasement lay under so much wrath and misery Doct. 2 as Divine Justice could have inflicted upon us for all our sins the guilt and punishment of all our sins was upon him he bore so much wrath and vengeance as Divine Justice could in Equity have inflicted upon us because of our sins here is ground for it He was made sin for us this was passed over untouched because I had not long before spoke at large to this I observed a third conclusion and it was this Christs undergoing the wrath and vengeance he did in his humiliation Doct. 3 abasement and sufferings was and is the whole and all-sufficient satisfaction to Divine Justice for us was and is the full the sole the whole and all-sufficient matter means or price to God of our Redemption and salvation here is ground for it in the text all was undergone by Christ that we might be made the righteousnese of God in him There lay upon me in my Judgement at that time pressing necessity to follow home this doctrine and to vindicate the truth of it in a full refelling the main-objection seemingly against it and by Gods leave shall now publish it and the rather because containing the foundation and ground of my condemned positions The first proof I bring to back my doctrine is out of Isaiah chapter the 53. ver 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied In this Chapter the Prophet sets forth the Passion of our Saviour and the vertue of it In the words recited he gives as it were an abridgement of the whole and shews how valuable t is with the Father and satisfactory to him for us T is that which satisfies and answers the whole demands of God for our Redemption observe the words and we shall find it he shall see who shall see That is God the father for t is he among the persons and in the trinity and of the God-head that as to the Scripture expressions and our capacity was to take satisfaction of us or for us shall see of the travel of his soul What is that shall see the travel T is a Metaphor taken from the pangs of women in child-bearing of his soul that is of Christs soul a Synecdoche the part is put for the whole the soul of Christ for whole Christ So then shall see of the travel of his soul that is shall see behold or look upon the sufferings damage and detriment that Christ was to undergo and it follows he shall be satisfied that is shall have his whole demands for our Redemption and
salvation he shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied What I have laid down last I find to be the sense of this place in the opinion of some late writers but finding another exposition given of it by the Jesuites and some others I insist not upon it as a sufficient proof and therefore intend to look further and first to that of Christ himself as tending to the present purpose and that in the last words he ever spake before the expiration of his soul upon the Cross Iohn the 19. ver 30. when Jesus had received the vineger he said it is finished it is finished what is that is finished Why that was the satisfaction demanded by God for the sins of the Elect the Redemption and salvation of the Elect was finished the matter means ransom or price required or accepted by God for mans Redemption was finished was finished what is that That is was fully performed according to the Metaphor there was nothing more to be done for it or to it for its accomplishment a thing is not finished till then well it was finished but whereby I answer by those bitter pangs and sufferings then upon him even then ready to have an end his ghost being even giving up there was no thing more to be done for their Redemption when Jesus had received the vineger he said it is finished The world is full of Anti-christian spirits I mean of men against Christs full satisfaction to Divine Justice in our stead against his alone saving us by the price of his blood against his finishing our Redemption thereby I will therefore back this last place and my gloss upon it with some other Scriptures And first with that of Iohn the Baptist Iohn the 1. ver 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world which taketh or beareth away the sin as the original will bear it nay as some do use the word Tollo which doth abolish or blot out The words are all very significant the Baptist doth say that Christ doth abolish or blot out the sins of the world things abolished or blotted out are not visible discernable or legible or he saies that Christ takes them or bears them away ye know that things taken or born away from a place are not there to be seen or found so that see then Christ takes and bears away our sins so as that to our capacity and apprehension God sees them not in us or upon us as to punish them And if so then Christ finisheth our Redemption brings about our salvation for if our sins be blotted out be taken or born away from us why then Divine Justice cannot deliver us to death cannot commit us to the prison of hell cannot thrust us from the blessed presence of God if thus then Christ finisheth our Redemption But now see to make all before spoken plainly true consider by what means the Baptist saith Christ doth all this the means whereby he doth it is implicit in the tide he puts upon Christ he saith he is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world mark it well he saith that Christ bears and takes away or blots out our sins and t is by vertue of his Passion and sufferings t is as he is the Lamb of God now ye know Christ is the Lamb of God in respect to his sufferings as he was the sacrince upon the Cross for mans Redemption and therefore Saint Peter in his first Epistle Chap. 1. ver 18. saies that we were Redeemed with the blood of Christ as of a Lamb without spot See he takes away our sins as he is the Lamb of God that is by vertue of his sufferings so that see Christ finished our Redemption in his humiliation in his detriment Upon these words in Iohn chap. the 19. ver 34. one of the souldiers with a speer pierced his side and forthwith came there out blood and water upon these words Beza's Annotation is this Christ being dead upon the Cross witnesseth by a double sign that he onely is the true satisfaction and the true washing for the Believers Let me put it home for my purpose thus and say he is all that for the Elect of God in and by his suffering by his death in that both these signs flowed forth from him whilest upon the Cross whilest made a curse for us by death the places of Scripture for this purpose are various I le alleadge but one and t is that of Paul Col. the 1. ver 20. having made peace through the blood of his Cross the blood of Christ made our peace brought it about reconciled God to us Now then if God be at peace and reconciliation with us by means of the blood of Christ If as the Lamb of God If as sacrificed If as suffering Christ takes and bears away our sins and blots them out If upon the Cross Christ finished our Redemption and salvation as doubtless all is truth why then I may conclude that my doctrine is true namely Christs undergoing the wrath and vengeance he did in his humiliation abasement and sufferings was and is the whole and all-sufficient satisfaction to Divine Justice for us was and is the whole the sole the full and all-sufficient matter means or price to God for our Redemption and salvation The usefull inference I make of the doctrine is this Inference That there is nothing in all the world but Christ but Christ crucified but Christs sufferings agaonies and travels of his soul that was or is the matter means or price to God for our Redemption and salvation that was or is the condition of the father with the Son for our eternal life and Redemption Give me leave to back this inference but with one place of Scripture I le then lay down the main doubt or objection about it and seemingly against it as plainly and faithfully as the talent God hath lent me wil enable The place I alleadge to back my inference is that of Saint Peter Act. the 4. chap. ver 11 12. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Give me leave to open the words that ye may see the meaning of Gods Spirit If my gloss be not convincing I shall be thankfull to you that I and it may be consulted with by persons of your highest esteem for knowledge and piety In the 11. verse the Apostle affirms that he whom the Doctors of the Jewish Church had looked upon as a wicked one and therefore had delivered to death was the promised Messias and he that was the Redemption both of Iews and Gentiles this stone sayes he set at nought of you builders that is not looked upon as the Saviour of the world is become saies he the head of the corner that is
that pronounceth not onely guiltless but also perfectly just through Christ It follows That justifieth the ungodly The ungodly the word ungodly here must be restrained to the number of the elect or ransomed through Christ whose falvation was covenanted for from all eternity with the father by the Son upon the price of his blood and abasement to be undergone in the fulness of time at the time appointed by the father and promised by the Son to be performed at the time appointed Now these elected or ordained of the father to eternal life through the Son are in the Scriptures one whle and in one respect termed ungodly another while and in another respect stiled Saints and termed godly these elect are stiled ungodly children of wrath and enemies to God whilest in their natural condition of blindness ignorance and disobedience before illumination new-birth or regeneration by the Spirit of God before they be wrought to the faith of Christ or the faith of Christ be brought to them But now these elected ones after regeneration after faith be conveyed into their hearts they have their name changed by God they are termed Saints they are called godly and righteous So that now see the elect of God the redeemed through Christ do stand just before God through Christ are pronounced perfectly just through Christ by the word of the fathers will or decree even whilest in their naturall condition before they be indued with faith though the elect hear it not till then t is so The father Justifies the ungodly therefore we are not Justified by faith t is not counted our righteousness as being the instrumental efficient cause of a real application of Christ as the cover of our sins from the sight of God because Justified before even whilest ungodly before indued with faith Secondly faith is not cannot be in this wise as last mentioned instrumental because that granted many places of the Scripture are destroyed for brevities sake I le alleadge but one t is that of Isaiah chap. the 40. ver 1 2. if ye weigh the place well ye shall see that the Ministers command or commission is to proclaim the pardon of the elects sins upon the bare consideration of Christs pangs and sufferings in their stead Cry unto her that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received at the Lords hand double for all her sins See now brethren Isaiah and my self are in the same error in the Judgement of the Adversary Isaiah tells ye and bids all the Ministers of Christ tell their people as I have told you that the bare pangs and sufferings of Chist are the adequate and full means and cause of the absolution and pardon of our sins by the father the Prophet bids us proclaim peace and pardon to Jerusalem to the elect to this person and to the other to whomsoever we preach barely upon the Sons eternal covenant to dye in the fulness of time for us and the fathers acceptance thereof in our stead So that see Christ is an elected soul is every believer in the eye and purpose of the father by imputation before the holy Ghosts comfortable application of that Christ by faith Cry unto her that her iniquity is pardoned for that she hath received at the Lords hand double for all her sins See now a plain destruction of the direction to the Ministers by Isaiah upon the adversaries opinion Had the spirits of these times been living in the Prophets dayes to hear his last recited doctrine they would have stiled him an Antifidian and termed his words a doctrine of Devils They would have told him no man is acquitted or pardoned of his sins because of Christs satisfaction in the eye or by the will of God till the soul hath actually owned Christ as his Saviour by faith that no man is just or Justified through Christ in the sight of the father till he be actually believing on the Son I do most willingly receive faith to be a most blessed signal means but dare not receive it as an instrumental cause whereby the spirit of God doth bring a soul into the favour of God who was out of it till then and secondly for this reason because it alters and destroys the meaning of many comfortable places of Scripture this plainly of Isaiah containing the Ministers commission Thirdly and Lastly faith cannot be instrumentall to the application of Christ as the cover of our sins from the sight of God as that whereby the spirit brings a sinner into the favour and love of God who was out of it till that grace came into his soul applying Christ comfortably to the heart because that this being granted the very nature and being of God as described in the Scriptures is consequently destroyed and denyed There be many places in the Scripture tending to the description of our God I shall insist upon the places describing him especially as to the present purpose and that in Exodus 3. ver 14 is very considerable as to the present when Moses would be instructed by God with his name to answer the Israelites enquiring it God sets forth his name by his nature thou shalt say I am hath sent me unto you God in his first answer to Moses in the beginning of the verse where he saies I am that I am God holds forth his absolute independing and eternal subsistency and being I am that I am that is of my self not taking my being from the power pleasure or help of any pre-existing cause or thing this speaks the eternity of his being Now in these words of God I am hath sent me unto you God sets forth the manner or nature of the being of things in him of their being in his love will or purpose and consequently as to our capacity in his sight and knowledge as I may say they do set forth the nature of love will decree knowledge sight and other attributes of God This name shews that his love of any man his will and purpose to have any thing come about or to pass his sight and knowledge of all future events and things to happen in time as to us were all eternally present with God not taking beginning or being in him in his sight or knowledge in time God loves not the man to day that is doth not will purpose or decree to him to day that good thing be it either some temporal happiness yea or future life eternal that he did not purpose will or decree to him from all eternity he doth not see or behold a man to day Justified through Christ that he did not behold so before the foundation of the world was laid I am saith God that is as if God should have said I am now at this time what I was from all eternity in respect to will decree sight knowledge power c. Again I am now at this present what I shall be to all succeding times to eternity in respect to will decree sight knowledge power for all
things to come are as present with me I am saith God hath sent me unto you That place of Peter in his second Epistle chap. the 3. ver 8. which backs my last gloss as a truth in it self may very well be used to expound the meaning of the former words in Exodus where he saith that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day A thousand years or eternity a part past that is yet to succeed cannot alter the knowledge decree will or purpose that is in or with God this day cannot bring to God a new purpose or decree a wil in him of doing any thing for any that was not in him from everlasting A thousand years cannot bring one soul to be clean through the blood of Christ in the eye or view of God that is not or was not so in his eye this present time or from everlasting That God sees all things together and at once with one act view and inspection was held sound Polemick and School Divinity till of late and certainly was their couclusion from such places as I have looked upon last to see the description of God as to the present purpose Now to bring all this to my present purpose Last faith cannot be looked upon as an instrumental cause of the application of Christ as the cover of our sins from the sight of God as that whereby the spirit of God brings a sinner into the favour and love of God through Christ who was out of it and in his hatred till that grace came into his soul applying Christ comfortably to the heart the reason is because that this being granted the very nature and being of God as described in the Scriptures is destroyed and denyed that being granted God can no longer say of himself as he did to Moses namely I am that is I am but now what I have been from eternity because that being granted time hath brought something to him which was not with him from everlasting then a day and a thousand years are not all one with God God is not the same in the day that he is in the end of a thousand years after the day When the grace of faith comes into a soul makes it an instrumental cause of our righteousness before God grant it that thereby we come to be justified in the sight of God not justified in his sight before not righteous in his sight through Christ before and then a thousand years future time add much to God that he had not before his knowledge and sight of justified persons is increased over it was his love that is his will or purpose to save such and such from eternal death is now come to God which was not in him or with him before his act of pronouncing this man just or quit from sin through Christ is now done and acted by the father in time which was not done nor acted by him from everlasting See brethren grant faith an instrumental cause of our righteousness of our being justified through Christ in the sight of God and then his nature and being as described in the Scriptures is destroyed and denyed God can no longer say of himself I am Peter erred when he said that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day How is God without variableness and shadow of change if the adversaries opinion be true I could say much more to refell the objection to evidence the impossibility of faith being instrumentall to our Justification through Christ in the sight of God but judging I have said enough to prevail with ingenuity with hearts not possessed with obstinacy I shall give yea breviate of my long answer and so go on Faith must not be received as an instrumental cause or means of our righteousness before God of our being justified in his fight through Christ First because the Scriptures affirm us plainly just in Gods sight before the income of grace into the soul See the places before quoted Ier. 31. ver 3. Ezek. 16. ver 6. 8. Rom. 4. ver 5. Secondly it must not it cannot be for if it be received it destroys many places of Scripture especially that of Isa 4. ver 1 2. Thirdly it must not it cannot be because so held as objected the nature and being of God as described in the Scriptures is destroyed and denyed especially as described in Exodus chap. 3. ver 14. and in 2 Pet. 3. ver 8. and elsewhere Well but perhaps the Adversaries will yet reply for grace especially for the grace of faith that t is the conditional means for life that the Gospel promiseth life indeed but t is upon condition of our faith and therefore the matter and means at least in part of our salvation Mr. Perkins shall make answer to this in his Commentary upon the Galatians pag. 157. as Mr. Saltmarsh quotes him where he thus saith That the Gospel hath in it no morall condition of any thing to be done of us Indeed faith is mentioned after the form and manner of a condition but in truth t is the free gift of God as well as life eternal and long after that he goes on and affirms that our salvation stands in this not that we know and apprehend Christ but in that he knows and apprehends us first of all So to this purpose 1 Ioh. chap. 4. ver 10. Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and therefore I may say can be no conditional means for life Mark the 12. ver 41. the treasury was open for the poor to cast in their small sums as well as for the rich to cast in much and in Exodus the 35. At the making of the Tabernacle the offerings of Goats hair and Badgers skins were accepted as well as gold and silver and the rich materials let me cast in my mite my courser matter to the destruction of the present objection The Ministers that hold forth faith as a condition to be performed by man for life as without which done by them they cannot inherit the future glory if they come to heal wounded spirits and to quiet disturbed souls with this salve or means and otherwise can give them no hope for life faith being not in their power to work into the heart of the diseased they may prove if Gods concurrence be not speedy like Iobs friends even miscrable comforters I think that that Minister that makes faith in Christ the condition for salvation and do deny man life unless upon that term this Gosspel Minister for so he will be termed considered duly with him that denies life unless upon performance of the whole Law by and in himself me thinks this man doth to the Church of God as Rehoboam said he would do to Israel complaining of his father Solomons Taxes who said his finger should be thicker then his fathers loyns if faith be given us as a condition for
life in the New Testament why then the old killing letter of the Law which granted life upon Do this and but upon that condition is to be termed Gospel that is good tydings rather then the New Testament Then indeed the Law is a Solomon heavy to Israel I but the Gospel is a Rehoboam far heavier For as Mr. Bridges in his Sermon upon the Canaanitish woman whose memory I shall ever honour and bless God for the unvaluable comfort I received thereby t is harder to believe then to keep all the commands of God t is harder for man barely considered as man for so it must be put I say t is harder for him to believe to rest upon Christ faithfully for salvation then to keep the whole Law This if time would permit were easily evidential but yet however t is granted by all that faith is beyond and out of the reach of any man and that unless the spirit of God shall vouchsafe to work it at his pleasure by an inward operation unbound to do it for any no man is able to gain all the Ministers and means in the world are not able to furnish one soul with it these things premised and received I leave the world to judge how improbable t is that faith should stand as a condition for life the Ministers that make faith a condition for life ex consequenti do make the Gospel no glad tydings but sad tydings they set out our life and escaping death at harder terms then the Law did which was yet impossible for man to observe or if not so yet they put it upon a condition non penes nos that is out of our power O miserable wretched times that mount Sion should be turned to mount Sinai that the blessed signs seals and tokens of our salvation by the Lord Christ should be turned to a Law and Covenant with us impossible to be performed by us save at the pleasure and assistance of Gods spirit blowing and breathing this sweet gale of faith and other graces but where it listeth Upon this subject I might increase into a volume and as the times are it were not unnecessary but I almost forbear give me your ears to a word or two more I confess sometimes I quote and alleadge the opinions of men especially of our modern Divines with whom I have even solely conversed but yet this I do not desiring to work ye to believe the things in hand because they have said it that respect I give onely to the holy Scriptures no I do it to prevent prejudice to the truths in hand I le therefore conclude all with that of Mr. Greenham in his tractate of Blessedness in his works set forth by Mr. Holland siding much methinks with what I have held forth to ye in these last Sermons speaking there of salvation the true blessedness of man he saith that our future salvation t is purposed by the father the son performs it and the holy Ghost ratifies it to us So that see the work of the holy Ghost is confirmation in this life to a soul of his future happiness granted by the father upon the purchase of the Son eternally before the ratification thereof by the holy spirit in time by faith And under favour this I take to be the most is attributed to the work of the spirit in all the Scriptures as concerning our salvation namely ratification confirmation assurance or manifestation of what in respect to our future condition hath been from everlasting gained by the son granted by the father and irrevocably concluded by both in their mutual and eternal covenant for the elect In respect therefore to illumination and faith conveyed to our souls which gives sight and hope of future glory through Christ which was promised to be wrought in the hearts of his disciples and Church by the holy Ghost he is called the Comforter not a Saviour Iohn the 14. ver 26. his work of faith upon the hearts of men is in Ephesians the 1. ver 14. termed the earnest of our inheritance the earnest money ye know gives a man to hope and expect the full pay at the appointed day according to promise or bargain faith is the earnest not the price of our inheritance And in another place we are said hereby to be sealed unto the day of redemption so that the work of faith is to give or work in us the hope expectation and assurance of the already concluded and accomplished salvation for us all which amount up to that description of faith by the Apostle Hebrews the 11. ver 1. Faith is the ground of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Let me add that of Mr. Maxey before the King at White-hall Tuesday the 8. of Ianuary 1604. in the conclusion of his Sermon upon that of the Apostle Rom. the 8. ver 30. Moreover whom he hath predestinated them also he hath called c. he hath these words Thus in predestination we behold God the Father choosing of his love in calling we hear God the Son teaching by his word in justifying we feel the comfort of God the holy Ghost sealing by his spirit By and by after he saith thus to our purpose calling inlightneth the mind with spiritual knowledge justifying goeth further and sealeth up the heart with heavenly comfort Yet more for our purpose presently after and alleadged out of Bernard Every one of us after this life desire and hope to enjoy eternall glory Behold saies he Conceditur in praedestinatione promittitur in vocatione ostenditur in justificatione percipitur in glorificatione In praedestination there is the first grant in calling it is directly promised in justifying it is plainly shewed in glorifying there is livery and seisin the full possession of all Thus ye may see that in Queen Elizabeths dayes and in the immediate succeeding times my opinion and Judgement which was that faith was but a blessed sign seal or pledge of Gods eternal favour purpose or dercee to save us not a cause or means to work God thereto not bent to it before was admitted the presence of the Court it self and the most of the Nation But now this illegitimate this child of Hagar the off-spring of shallow humane reason I mean the Arminian Tenents I say that now they have so long been favoured and countenanced that small parishes will deal by Christs doctrin I mean free grace as the blinded and perverse Jews did by our Saviour himself pelt him and stone him with reproaches at him that shall preach it as they dealt by our Jesus say he is mad or hath a devil at least most fiercely oppose it Now to draw to an end perhaps ye will say I set too too little price or value upon faith obedience or repentance and do account so sleightly of them as that man will hardly long after them As to this I shall need say no more then what hath been often spoken in your hearings as to this purpose I prize faith as Saint Peter did I call it precious faith though it becomes not his salvation yet it brings about invaluable blessings it gives light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death it takes off the heaviest burthen can be laid upon man in this life it cures the wounded spirit that cannot be born it brings peace external the blessings of this life it brings peace internall the peace of conscience by giving him hope and assurance of his peace eternal accomplished for him by Christ faith brings sanctification with it it outs sin and Sathan being in the heart it keeps Sathan from re-entrance Eph. the 6. ver 16. Take the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of Sathan without faith all our works are inacceptable to God little or no difference betwixt transgression of the Law and conformity to it as to the subject matter Many more are the benefits of faith so pretious tis that I say to God in my wishes dayly as the woman of Samaria to Christ concerning it or the water Lord evermore give me this this though thou strippest me of all things in this life whatever and O Lord give me obedience and due conformity to thy will though it will not save me from eternal destruction it will keep the doctrine of Christ from being evil spoken of from being blasphemed it will stave off the temporal wrath and vengeance of God from me it will keep thee from Gods becoming to thee as an enemy or Lord if I lapse to disobedience then grant me the renewing grace of repentance and conversion for then that shall become my sanctuary and City of refuge that I may be safe from the destroyer from the temporal vengeance of the Almighty FINIS