This is now a wrong faith as is evident in that it is placed upon a wrong object for mark this faith is not placed assuredly on Gods grace alone through the blood and merits of Christ being discovered effectually to the soul but upon God through those things that God hath given iâ— as of gifts either to preach or pray or great works or the like which will assuredly come to nought as sure as God is in Heaven if no better faith and ground of faith be found out for thy soul savingly to rest upon As to the second cause of the Objection which runs to this effect God loves men upon the account of their believing I answer that God loves men before they believe he loves them he calls them and gives them faith to believe But God who is rich in grace with his great love wherewith he loved us when when we believed or before even when we were dead in our sins and so far off from believers hath quickned us together with Christ by grace you are saved Eph. 2. 4 5. Now also I suppose that thou wilt say in thy heart I would you would shew us then what is saving faith which thing it may be I may touch upon a while hence in the next thing that I am to speak unto O they that have that are safe indeed The Second Thing THe second Thing that I am to speak unto is this Who they are that are actually brought into this free and unchangable grace and also how they are brought in Answ. Indeed now we are come to the pinch of the whole discourse and if God do but help me to run rightly thorow this as I do verily believe he will I may do thee Reader good and bring glory to my God The Question containeth these two branches First who are brought in Secondly how they are brought in the first is quickly answered Christ Jesus came into the world â—o save sinners Jewish sinners Gentile sinners Old sinners Young sinners great sinners the chiefest of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 14 15. Rom. 5. 7 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Mat. 21. 31. Publicans and Harlots that is Whores and Cheaters Exactors shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven For I came not saith Christ to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Mark 2. 17. A sinner in the Scripture is described in general to be a transgressor of the Law 1 John 3. 4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth the Law for sin is the transgression of the Law But particularly they are described in a more particular way as first such as in whom dwelleth the devil Ephes. 2. 2 3. Secondly such as will do the service of him John 8. 44. Thirdly such as are enemies to God Col. 1. 21. Fourthly such as are 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. 2 Chron. 33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 c. Acts 9. 1 2 3. 1 Tim. 1. 14 15 16. Acts 19. 19. Acts 2. 36 37. Drunkards Whoremasters Liars Perjured Persons Covetous Revilers Extortioners Fornicators Swearers possessed with Devils Thieves Idolaters Witches Sorcerers Conjurers Murderers and the like these be sinners and such sinners that God hath prepared Heaven Happiness Pardon of Sin and an inheritance of God with Christ with Saints with Angels if they do come in and accept of Grace as I might prove at large For Gods grace is so great that if they do come to him by Christ presently all is forgiven them therefore never object that thy sins are too great to be pardoned but come taste and see how good the Lord is to any whosoever comes unto him The second thing is How are these brought into this everlasting Covenant of Grace 2. Answ. When God doth indeed and in truth bring in a sinner into this most blessed Covenant for so it is he usually goeth this way First He slays or kills the party to all things besides himself and his Son Jesus Christ and the comforts of the Spirit For the clearing of this I shall shew you first with what God kills secondly how God kills and thirdly to what God kills those whom he makes alive in Jesus Christ. For the first When God brings sinners into the Covenant of Grace he doth first kill them with the Covenant of Works which is the Moral Law or Ten Commandments This is Pauls Doctrine and also Pauls experience It is his Doctrine where he saith The ministration of death engraven in stones the ministration of condemnation which is the Law in that place called the Letter kills 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. The Letter saith he killeth or the Law or the ministration of death which is another place is called a sound of words Heb. 12. 19. because they have no life 〈◊〉 them but rather death and damnation through our inability to fulfill them Rom. 8. 3. doth kill 2 Cor. 6. Secondly It is his experience where he saith I was alive once that is to my own things Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. without the Law that is before God did strike him dead by it but when the commandment came that is to do and exercise its right Office on me which was to kill me then sin revived and I died and I was killed and the commandment or the Law which was ordained to be unto life I found to be unto death For sin taketh occasion by the commandment deceived me and thereby slew me Rom. 7. 9 10 11. And indeed to speak my own experience together with the experience of all the Saints they can seal with me to this more or less Quest. But how doth God kill with this Law or Covenant Answ. First by opening to the soul the spirituality of it The Law is spiritual saith he but I am carnal sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. Now the spirituality of the Law is discovered this way First by shewing to the soul that every sinful thought is a sin against it I sinner when the Law doth come home indeed upon thy soul in the spirituality of it it will discover such things to thee to be sins that now thou lookest over and regardesâ—â—â— that is a remarkable saying of Paul when he saith Sin revived and I died sin revived saith he as if he had said those things that before I did not value nor regard but looked upon them to be trifles to be dead and forgotten but when the Law was fastened on my soul it did so raise them from the dead call them to mind so muster them before my face and put such strength into them that I was over-mastered by them by the guilt of them Sin revived by the commandment or my sins had mighty strength life and abundance of force upon me because of that insomuch that it killed me Mat. 5. 28. Secondly It sheweth that every such sin deserveth eternal damnation Friends I doubt there be but few of you that have seen the spirituality of the Law of Works but this is one thing in which it discovereth
was punished in the Sodomites c. with the utter destruction of this City and themselves Gen. 19. 24 25. Yea they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. Also the Male Sechemites for the sin committed by Hamors son were all put to the sword Gen. 34. 25 26. Our first Parents sinned against the Eighth Commandment in taking the forbidden fruit and so brought the Curse on themselves and their posterity Gen. 3. 16. Again the punishment due to the breach of this Commandment was by Jacob accounted death Gen. 31. 30 32. and also by Jacobs sons Gen. 44. 9 10. Cain sinning against the Ninth Commandment as in Gen. 4. 9. was therefore cursed to the earth verse the 11. And Abraham though the Friend of God was blamed for false witness by Pharaoh and sent out of Egypt Gen. 12. 18 19 20. and both he and Sarah reproved by Abimelech Gen. 20. 9 10 16. Pharaoh sinned against the Tenth Commandment Gen. 12. 15. and was therefore plagued with great plagues verse 17. Abimelech coveted Abraham's Wife and the Lord threatned death to him and his except he restored her again Gen. 20. 3. Yea though he had not come near her yet for coveting and taking her the Lord fast closed up the Wombs of his house verse 18. I could have spoken more fully to this but that I would not be too tedious but speak what I have to say with as much brevity as I can But before I pass it I will besides this give you an Argument or two more for the further clearing of this that the substance of the Law delivered on Mount Sinai was before that delivered by the Lord to man in the Garden As first Death reigned over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression that is though they did not take the forbidden fruit as Adam did but had the transgression been no other or had their sin been laid to the charge of none but those that did eat of that fruit then those that was born to Adam after he was shut out of the Garden had not had sin in that they did not actually eat of that fruit and so had not been slaves to death But in that Death did reign from Adam to Moses or from the time of his transgression against the first giving of the Law till the time the Law was given on Mount Sinai it is evident that the substance of the Ten Commandments was given to Adam and his Posterity under that Command Eat not of the Tree that is in the midst of the Garden But yet if any shall say that it was because of the sin of their Father that death reigned over them to that I shall answer that although original sin be laid to the charge of his Posterity yet it is also for their sins that they actually committed that they were plagued And again saith the Apostle For where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4. 15. For sin is not imputed where there is no Law Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses saith he Rom. 5. 13 14. But if there had been no Law then there had been no Transgression and so no death to follow after as the wages thereof for death is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23. and sin is the breach of the Law an actual breach in our particular persons as well as an actual breach in our publick person 1 John 3. 4. Again they are no other sins then those against that Law given on Sinai for the which those sins before mentioned was punished therefore the Law given before by the Lord to Adam and his posterity is the same with that afterwards given on Mount Sinai Again the Conditions of that on Sinai and of that in the Garden are all one the one saying Do this and live the other saying the same Also Judgment denounced against men in both kinds alike therefore this Law it appeareth to be the very same that was given on Mount Sinai Again the Apostle speaketh but of two Covenants to wit Grace and Works under which two Covenants all are some under one and some under the other Now this to Adam is one therefore that on Sinai is one and all one with this and that this is a truth I say I know that the sins against that on Sinai was punished by God for the breach thereof before it was given there so it doth plainly appear to be a truth for it would be unrighteous with God for to punish for that Law that was not broken therefore it was all one with that on Sinai Now the Law given on Sinai was for the more clear discovery of those sins that was before committed against it for though the very substance of the Ten Commandments was given in the Garden before they were received from Sinai yet they lay so darkly in the heart of man that his sins was not so clearly discovered as afterwards they were therefore saith the Apostle The Law was added Gal. 3. 19. or more plainly given on Sinai in Tables of Stone that the offence might abound that is that it might the more clearly be made manifest and appear Rom. 5. 20. Again we have a notable resemblance for this at Sinai even in giving the Law for first the Law was given twice on Sinai to signifie that indeed the substance of it was given before And secondly the first tables that was given on Sinai was broken at the foot of the Mount and the other was preserved whole to signifie that though it was the true Law that was given before with that given on Sinai yet it was not so easie to be read and to be taken notice of in that the stones were not whole but broken and so the Law written thereon somewhat defaced and disfigured But if any object and say though the sins against the one be the sins against the other and so in that they do agree yet it doth not appear that the same is therefore the same Covenant of Works with the other Answ. That which was given to Adam in Paradise you will grant was the Covenant of Works for it runs thus Do thus and live do it not and die nay thou shalt surely die Now there is but one Covenant of Works If therefore I prove that that which was delivered on Mount Sinai is the Covenant of Works then all will be put out of doubt Now that this is so it is evident First Consider the two Covenants are thus called in Scripture the one the administration of death and the other the administration of life the one the Covenant of Works the other of Grace but that delivered on Sinai is called the ministration of death that therefore is the Covenant of Works 2 Cor. 3. For if saith he the ministration of death Written and Ingraven in stones was glorious c. Secondly the Apostle writing to the Galatians doth labour to beat them off from trusting in the Covenant of Works but when he
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
by the Law but by imputation and is really the righteousness of another namely of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 3. 8 9 10. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ which is unto all and upon all that is imputed to them that believe Rom. 3. 22. But if they were under the Old Covenant the Covenant of Works then their righteousness must be their own or no forgiveness of sins If thou do well shalt not thou be accepted but if thou transgress sin lieth at the door saith the Law Gen. 4. 7. Fourthly In a word whatsoever they do receive whether it be conversion to God whether it be pardon of sin whether it be faith or hope whether it be righteousness whether it be strength whether it be the Spirit or the fruits thereof whether it be victory over sin death or hell whether it be heaven everlasting life and glory unexpressible or whatsoever it be it comes to them freely God having no first eye to what they would do or should do for the obtaining of the same But to take this in pieces 1. In a word are they converted God finds them first for saith he I am found of them that sought me not Isa. 65. 1. 2. Have they pardon of sin They have that also freely I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely Hos. 14. 4. 3. Have they faith It is the gift of God in Christ Jesus and he is not only the author that is the beginner thereof but he doth also perfect the same Heb. 12. 2. 4. Have they hope It is God that is the first cause thereof Remember thy word unto thy servaut wherein THOU hast caused me to hope Psal. 119. 49. 5 Have they righteousness It is the free gift of God Rom. 5. 17. 6. Have they strength to do the work of God in their generations or any other thing that God would have them do that also is a free gift from the Lord for without him we neither do nor can do any thing John 15. 5. 7. Have we comfort or consolation We have it not for what we have done but from God through Christ for he is the God of all our comforts and consolations 2 Cor. 1. 8. Have we the spirit or the fruits thereof It is the gift of the Father How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. Thou hast wrought all our works for us Isa. 26. 12. And so I say whether it be victory over sin death hell or the devil it is given us by the victory of Christ But thanks be to God which hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 57. Rom. 7. 24 25. Heaven and glory it is also the gift of him who giveth his richly all things to enjoy Mat. 25. So that these things if they be duly and soberly considered will give satisfaction in this thing I might have aded many more for the clearing of these things At first when God came to man to convert him he found him a dead man Eph 2. 1 2. he found him an enemy to God Christ and the salvation of his own soul he found him wallowing in all manner of wickedness he found him taking pleasure therein with all delight and greediness 2. He was fain to quicken him by putting his Spirit into him and to translate him by the mighty operation thereof 3. He was fain to reveal Christ Jesus unto him man being altogether senseless and ignorant of his blessed Jesus Mat. 11. 25 27. 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10. 4. He was fain to break the snare of the devil and to let poor man poor bound and fettered man out of the chains of the enemy Now we are to proceed and the things that we are to treat upon in the second place are these First why it is a free and unchangeable grace Secondly Who they are that are actually brought into his free and unchangeable Covenant of Grace and how they are brought in Thirdly What are the priviledges of those that are actually brought into this free and glorious grace of the glorious God of heaven and glory For the first Why it is a free and unchangeable grace and for the opening of this we must consider First How and through whom this grace doth come to be first free to us and secondly unchangeable This grace is free to us through conditions in another that is by way of Convenant or Bargain for this Grace comes by way of Covenant or Bargain to us yet made with another for us First That it comes by way of Covenant Contract or Bargain though not personally with us be pleased to consider these Scriptures where it is said Psal. 89. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant And as for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant speaking of Christ have I sent forth the prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water Zech. 9. 9 10 11. Again You have sold your selves for nought and you shall be bought without money Ezek. 34. 23 24. Chap. 37. 24 25. Blessed be the Lord therefore saith Zacharias for he hath visited and also REDEEMED his people And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us To perform his mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant or Bargain Luke 1 68 69 70 71 72. And if any should be offended with the plainness of these words as some poor souls may be through ignorance let them be pleased to read soberly that 49. Chapter of the the Prophet Isaiah from the 1. verse to the 12. and there they may see that it runs as plain a Bargain as if two should be making of a Bargain between themselves and concluding upon several conditions on both sides But more of this hereafter Now secondly This Covenant I say was made with one not with many and also confirmed in the conditions of it with one not with several First That the Covenant was made with one see Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and to his seed was the promises made he saith not to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ ver 17. And this I say the Covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ c. The Covenant was made with the seed of Abraham not the seeds but the seed which is the Lord Jesus Christ our head and undertaker in the things concerning the Covenant 3. The condition was made with one and also accomplished by him alone and not by several yet in the nature and for the everlasting deliverance of many even by one man Jesus Christ as it is clear from
its Spirituality and this is the proper work of the Law Thirdly God with a discovery of this doth also discover his own Divine and Infinite Justice of which the Law is a description which backs what is discovered by the Law and that by discovering of its Purity and Holiness to be so divine so pure so upright and so far off from winking at the least sin that he doth by that Law without any favour condemn the sinner for that sin Gal. 3. 10. Now when he hath brought the soul into this Premunire into this puzzle Then 2. He sheweth to the soul the nature and condition of the Law as to its dealing with or for bearing of the sinner that hath sinned against it which is to pass an eternal curse upon both soul and body of the party so offending saying to him Cursed be the man that continueth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law to do it for saith the Law this is my proper work First to shew thee thy sins and when I have done that then in the next place to condemn thee for them and that without all remedy as from me or any thing within my bounds for I am not to save any to pardon any nay not to favour any in the least thing that have sinned against me for God did not send me to make alive but to discover sin and to condemn for the same Now so soon as this is presented to the conscience in the next place the Law also by this Law doth shew that now there is no righteous act according to the tenor of that Covenant that can replieve him or take him off from all this horrour and curse that lies upon him because that is not an administration of pardon as I said before to forgive the sin but an administration of damnation because of transgression O the very discovery of this striketh the soul into a deadly swoun even above half dead But when God doth do the work indeed he doth in the next place shew the soul that he is the man that is eternally under this Covenant by nature and that it is thee that hath sinned against this Law and doth by right deserve the curse and displeasure of the same and that all that ever he can do will not give satisfaction to that glorious justice that did give this Law holy actions tears of blood selling all and giving iâ— to the poor or whatever else can be done by thee it comes all short and is all to no purpose Phil. 3. I 'll warrant him he that seeth this it will kill him to that which he was alive unto before though he had a thousand lives Ah sinners sinners were you but sensible indeed of the severity and truth of this it would make you look about you to purpose O how would it make you strive to stop at that 〈◊〉 that now you drink down with delight How many Oaths would it make you bite asunder nay it would make you bite your tongues to think that they should be used as instruments of the Devil to bring your souls into such an unspeakable misery then also we should not have you hang the salvation of your souls upon such slender pinâ— as now you do no no but you would be in another mind then O then we should have you cry out I must have Christ what shall I do for Christ how shall I come at Christ would I was sure truly sure of Christ my soul is gone damned cast away and must for ever burn with the Devils if I do not get precious Jesus Christ. In the next place when God hath done this then he the further shews the soul that Covenant which it is under by nature is distinct from the Covenant of Grace and also they that are under it are by nature without any of the graces which they have that are under the Covenant of Grace As First That it hath no faith John 16. 9. Secondly no hope Eph. 2. 12. Thirdly Nor none of the spirit to work these things first by nature Fourthly Neither will that Covenant give to them any peace with God Fifthly No promise of safeguard from his revenging Law by that Covenant Sixthly But lieth by Nature liable to all the curses and condemnings and thunder-claps of this most fiery Covenant Seventhly That it will accept of no sorrow no repentance no satisfaction as from thee Eighthly That it calls for no less than the shedding of thy blood Ninthly The damnation of thy soul and body Tenthly And if there be any thing prossered to it by thee as to the making of it amends it throws it back again as dirt in thy face slighting all that thou canst bring Now when the soul is brought into this condition then it is indeed dead killed to that to which it was once alive And therefore in the next place to shew you to what it is killed and that is first to sin O it dares not sin it sees hell fire is prepared for them that sin Gods Justice will not spare it if it live in sin the Law will damn it if it live in sin the Devil will have it if it follow its sin O I say it trembles at the very thoughts of sin I if sin do but offer to tempt the soul to draw away the soul from God it cries it sighs it shunneth the very appearance of sin it is odious unto it If God would but serve you thus that love your pleasures you would not make such a trifle of sin as you do Secondly It is killed to the Law of God as it is the Covenant of Works O saith the soul the Law hath killed me to its self I through the Law am dead to the Law Gal. 2. 19. The Law is another thing then I did think it was I thought it would not have been so soul-destroying so damning a Law I thought it would not have been so severe against me for my little sins â—or my playing for my jeasting for my dissembling quarrelling and the like I had some thoughts indeed that it would tew great sinners but let me pass and though it condemned great sinners yet it would pass me by but now would I were free from this Covenant would I were free from this Law I will tell thee that a soul thus worked upon is more afraid of the Covenant of Works then he is of the Devil for he sees it is the Law that doth give him up into his hands for sin and if he was but clear from that he should not greatly need to fear the Devil O now every particular command tears the caul of his heart now every command is as a great gun well charged against his soul now he sees he had as good run into a fire to keep himself from burning as to run to the Law to keep himself from damning and this he sees really I and feels it too to his own sorrow and perplexity Thirdly The soul also
THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAW and GRACE UNFOLDED OR A Discourse touching the Law and Grace The nature of the one and the nature of the other shewing what they are as they are the two Covenants and likewise who they be and what their Conditions are that be under either of these two Covenants WHEREIN For the better Understanding of the Reader there is several Questions answered touching the Law and Grace very easie to be read and as easie to be understood by those that are the Sons of Wisdom the Children of the second Covenant ALSO Several Titles set over the several Truths contained in this Book for thy sooner finding of them which are those following the Epistle Published by that Poor and Contemptible Creature John Bunyan of Bedford The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by the which we draw nigh to God Heb. 7. 19. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. To him therefore that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Rom. 4. 5. LONDON Printed for Nath. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultry 1685. The Epistle to the Reader Reader IF at any time there be held forth by the Preacher the freeness and fulness of the Gospel together with the readiness of the Lord of Peace to receive those that have any desire thereto presently it is the spirit of the World to cry out Sure this man disdains the Law slights the Law and counts that of none effect and all because there is not together with the Gospel mingled the Doctrine of the Law which is not a right dispensing of the Word according to truth and knowledge Again if there be the terror horror and severity of the Law discovered to a People by the Servants of Jesus Christ though they do not speak of it to the end People should trust to it by relying on it as it is a Covenant of Works but rather that they should be driven further from that Covenant even to embrace the tenders and priviledges of the second yet poor Souls because they are unacquainted with the natures of these two Covenants or either of them therefore say they here is nothing but preaching of the Law thundering of the Law when alas if these two be not held forth to wit the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace together with the nature of the one and the nature of the other Souls will never be able neither to know what they are by Nature nor what they lie under Also neither can they understand what Grace is nor how to come from under the Law to meet God in and through that other most glorious Covenant through which and only through which God can communicate of himself grace Glory yea even all the good things of another World I having considered these things together with others have made bold to present yet once more to thy view my Friend something of the mind of God to the end if it shall be but blessed to thee thou mayest be benefited thereby For verily these things are not such as are ordinary and of small concernment but do absolutely concern thee to know and that experimentally too if ever thou do partake of the glory of God through Jesus Christ and so escape the terrour and unsupportable vengeance that will otherwise come upon thee through his Justice because of thy living and dying in thy Transgressions against the Law of God And therefore while thou livest here below it is thy duty if thou wish thy self happy for the time to come to give up thy self to the studying of these two Covenants treated of in the ensuing Discourse and so to study them untill thou through grace do not only get the notion of the one and of the other in thy head but untill thou do feel the very power life and glory of the one and of the other For take this for granted he that is dark as touching the scope intent and nature of the Law is also dark as to the scope nature and glory of the Gospel And also he that hath but a notion of the one will hardly have any more than a notion of the other And the reason is this because so long as People are ignorant of the nature of the Law and of their being under it that is under the curse and condemning power of it by reason of their sin against it so long they will be careless and negligent as to the enquiring after the true knowledge of the Gospel Before the Commandement came that is in the spirituality of it Paul was alive that is thought himself safe which is clear Rom. 7. 9 10. compared with the 3. of Phil. the 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. ver c. But vvhen that came and vvas indeed discovered unto him by the Spirit of the Lord then Paul dies Rom. 7. to all his former life Phil. 3. and that man vvhich before could content himself to live though ignorant of the Gospel cryes out novv I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord ver 8. Therefore I say so long they vvill be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel and hovv glorious a thing it is to be found vvithin the bounds of it for we use to say That man that knoweth not himself to be sick that man will not look out for himself a Physician and this Christ knew full well where he saith The whole have no need of a Physician but them that are sick that is none will in truth desire the Physician unless they know they be sick That man also that hath got but a notion of the Law a notion that is the Knowledge of it in the Head so as to discourse and talk of it if he hath not felt the power of it and that effectually too he it is to be feared will at the best be but a Notionest in the Gospel he will not have the experimental Knowledge of the same in his Heart nay he will not seek nor heartily desire after it and all because as I said before he hath not Experience of the wounding cutting killing nature of the other I say therefore if thou wouldest know the Authority and Power of the Gospel labour first to know the Power and Authority of the Law for I am verily persuaded that the want of this one thing namely the Knowledge of the Law is one cause why so many are ignorant of the other That man that doth not know the Law doth not know indeed and in truth that he is a Sinner and that man that doth not know he is a Sinner doth not know savingly that there is a Saviour Again That man that doth not know the nature of the Law that man doth not know the nature of Sin and that man that knoweth not the nature of Sin will not regard to know
the nature of a Saviour This is proved John 8. 31 32 33 34 35 36. ver This People were Professors and yet did not knovv the Truth the Gospel and the reason was because they did not knovv themselves and so not the Lavv. I vvould not have thee mistake me Christian Reader I do not say that the Lavv of it self vvill lead any Soul to Jesus Christ but the Soul being killed by the Lavv through the operation of its severity seizing on the Soul then the man if he be enlightened by the Spirit of Christ to see vvhere Remedy is to be had vvill not through Grace be contented vvithout the real and saving Knovvledge through Faith of him If thou vvouldest then vvash thy Face clean first take a Glass and see vvhere it is dirty that is If thou vvould'st indeed have thy Sins vvashed avvay by the Blood of Christ labour first to see them in the Glass of the Lavv Jam. 1. and do not be afraid to see thy besmeared Condition but look on every Spot thou hast for he that looks on the foulness of his Face by the halfs vvill vvash by the halfs even so he that looks on his Sins by the halfs he vvill seek for Christ by the halfs Reckon thy self therefore I say the biggest Sinner in the World and be persuaded that there is none vvorse than thy self then let the Guilt of it seize on thy Heart then also go in that case and condition to Jesus Christ and plunge thy self into his Merits and the vertue of his Blood and after that thou shalt speak of the things of the Lavv and of the Gospel experimentally and the very Language of the Children of God shall seelingly drop from thy Lips and not till then Let this therefore learn thee thus much He that hath not seen his lost Condition hath not seen a safe Condition he that did never see himself in the Devils Snare did never see himself in Christ's Bosom This my Son was dead and is alive again Was lost and is found with whom we all had our Conversation in time past But now are so many of us as believe returned to Jesus Christ the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls I say therefore if thou do find in this Treatise in the first place something touching the Nature End and extent of the Lavv do not thou cry out therefore all on a sudden saying Here is nothing but the Terror Horror and thundering Sentences of the Lavv. Again If thou do find in the second part of this Discourse something of the freeness and fullness of the Gospel do not thou say then neither here is nothing but Grace therefore surely an under valuing of the Lavv. No but read it quite thorovv and so consider of it and I hope thou shalt find the tvvo Covenants vvhich all men are under either the one or the other discovered and held forth in their Natures Ends Bounds together vvith the state and condition of them that are under the one and of them that are under the other There be some that through Ignorance do say hovv that such men as preach Terror and Amazement to Sinners are besides the Book and are Ministers of the Letter the Law and not of the Spirit the Gospel but I would answer them citing them to the 16. of Luke from the nineteenth Verse to the end and the 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. and Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 3. from the ninth Verse to the nineteenth only this Caution I would give by the way how that they which preach Terror to drive Souls to the obtaining of Salvation by the Works of the Law that preaching is not the right Gospel-preaching Yet when Saints speak of the sad state that men are in by Nature to discover to Souls their need of the Gospel this is honest preaching see Romans 3. the 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 c. and he that doth do so he doth the Work of a Gospel-Minister Again there are others that say because we do preach the free full and exceeding Grace discovered in the Gospel therefore we make void the Law which indeed unless the Gospel be held forth in the Glory thereof without Confusion by mingling the Covenant of Works therewith the Law cannot be established Do we through Faith or preaching of the Gospel make void the Law Nay stay saith Paul God forbid We do thereby establish the Law Rom. 3. 31. And verily he that will indeed establish the Law or set it in its own place for so I understand the Words must be sure to hold forth the Gospel in its right colour and nature for if a man be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace they or he will be very apt to remove the Law out of its place and that because they are ignorant not knowing what they say nor whereof they affirm And let me tell you if a man be ignorant of the Covenant of Grace and the bounds and boundlesness of the Gospel though he speaks and makes mention of the Name of the Father and of the Son and also of the Name of the New Covenant and the Blood of Christ yet at this very time and in these very Words he will preach nothing but the Law and that as a Covenant of Works Reader I must confess it is a wonderful mysterious thing and he had need have a wiser Spirit than his own that can rightly set these two Covenants in their right places that when he speaks of the one he doth not justle the other out of its place O to be so well enlightned as to speak of the one that is the Law for to magnifie the Gospel and also to speak of the Gospel so as to establish and yet not to idolize the Law nor any particular thereof it is rare and to be heard and found but in very few mens Breasts If thou should'st say what is it to speak to each of these two Covenants so as to set them in their right places and also to use the terror of the one so as to magnifie and advance the Glory of the other To this I shall answer also read the ensuing Discourse but with an understanding Heart and it is like thou wilt find a Reply therein to the same purpose which may be to thy satisfaction Reader if thou do find this Book empty of fantastical Expressions and without light vain whimsical Scholar-like terms thou must understand it is because I never went to School to Aristotle or Plato but was brought up at my Father's House in a very mean condition among a Company of poor Country-men But if thou do find a parcel of plain yet sound true and home Sayings attribute that to the Lord Jesus his Gifts and Abilities which he hath bestowed upon such a poor Creature as I am and have been And if thou being a seeing Christian dost find me coming short though rightly touching at some things
attribute that either to my Brevity or if thou wilt to my Weaknesses for I am full of them A word or two more and so I shall have done with this And the first is Friend if thou do not desire the Salvation of thy Soul yet I pray thee to read this Book over with serious Consideration it may be it will stir up in thee some desires to look out after it which at present thou mayest be without Secondly if thou do find any stirrings in thy Heart by thy reading such an unworthy man's Works as mine are be sure that in the first place thou give Glory to God and give way to thy Convictions and be not too hasty in getting them off from thy Conscience but let them so work till thou do see thy self by nature void of all Grace as Faith Hope Knowledge of God Christ and the Covenant of Grace Thirdly then in the next place fly in all haste to Jesus Christ thou being sensible of thy lost Condition without him secretly perswading of thy Soul that Jesus Christ standeth open armed to receive thee to wash away thy Sins to cloath thee with his Righteousness and is willing yea heartily willing to present thee before the Presence of the Glory of God and among the innumerable Company of Angels with exceeding Joy This being thus in the next place do not satisfie thy self with these secret and first Perswasions which do or may encourage thee to come to Jesus Christ but be restless till thou do find by blessed experience the glorious Glory of this the second Covenant extended unto thee and sealed upon thy Soul with the very Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that thou mayest not slight this my Counsel I beseech thee in the second place consider these following things First if thou do get off thy Convictions and not the right way which is by seeing thy Sins washed away by the Blood of Jesus Christ it is a question whether ever God will knock at thy Heart again or no but rather say Such a one is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos. 4. 17. Though he be in a natural state let him alone Though he be in or under the Curse of the Law let him alone Though he be in the very hand of the Devil let him alone Though he be a going post-haste to Hell let him alone Though his Damnation will not only be Damnation for Sins against the Law but also for slighting the Gospel yet let him alone My Spirit my Ministers my Word my Grace my Mercy my Love my Pity my common Providences shall no more strive with him let him alone O sad O miserable who would slight Convictions that are on their Souls which tend so much for their good Secondly if thou shalt not regard how thou do put off Convictions but put them off without the precious Blood of Christ being savingly applied to thy Soul thou art sure to have the mispending of that Conviction to prove the hardning of thy Heart against the next time thou art to hear the Word preached or read This is commonly seen that those Souls that have not regarded those Convictions that are at first set upon their Spirits do commonly and that by the just Judgments of God upon them grow more hard more sensless more feared and sottish in their Spirits for some who formerly would quake and weep and relent under the hearing of the Word do now for the present sit so sensless so feared and hardned in their Consciences that certainly if they should have Hell-fire thrown in their Faces as it is sometimes cried up in their Ears they would scarce be moved and this comes upon them as a just Judgment of God 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. Thirdly if thou do slight these or those Convictions that may be set upon thy Heart by reading of this Discourse or hearing of any other good man preach the Word of God sincerely thou wilt have the stifling of these or those Convictions to account and answer for at the Day of Judgment not only thy Sins that are commonly committed by thee in thy Calling and common Discourse but thou shalt be called to a reckoning for slighting Convictions disregarding of Convictions which God useth as a special means to make poor Sinners see their lost Condition and the need of a Saviour Now here I might add many more Considerations besides these to the end thou mayest be willing to tend and listen to Convictions as First consider thou hast a precious Soul more worth than the whole World and this is commonly worked upon if ever it be saved by Convictions Secondly this Soul is for certain to go to Hell if thou shalt be a slighter of Convictions Thirdly if that go to Hell thy Body must go thither too and then never to come out again Now consider this you that are apt to forget God and his Convictions lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. 22. But if thou shalt be such a one that shalt notwithstanding thy reading of thy Misery and also of God's Mercy still persist to go on in thy Sins know in the first place that here thou shalt be left by the things that thou readest without excuse and in the World to come thy Damnation will be exceedingly aggravated for thy not regarding of them and turning from thy Sins which was not only reproved by them but also for rejecting of that Word of Grace that did instruct thee how and which way thou should'st be saved from them And so farewel I shall leave thee and also this Discourse to God who I know will pass a righteous Judgment both upon that and thee I am yours though not to serve your Lusts and filthy minds yet to reprove instruct and according to that proportion of Faith and Knowledge which God hath given me to declare unto you the way of Life and Salvation Your Judgings Railings Surmizings and disdaining of me that I shall leave till the fiery Judgment comes in which the Ostender shall not go unpunished be he you or me yet I shall pray for you wish well to you and do you what good I can And that I might not write or speak in vain Christian pray for me to our God with much Earnestness Fervency and frequently in all your Knocking 's at our Fathers door because I do very much stand in need thereof for my Work is great my Heart is vile the Devil lieth at watch the World would fain be saying aha aha thus we would have it and of my self keep my self I cannot trust my self I dare not if God do not help me I am sure it will not be long before my Heart deceive me and the World have their Advantage of me and so God be dishonoured by me and thou also ashamed to own me O therefore be much in Prayer for me thy Fellow I trust in that glorious Grace that is conveyed from Heaven to Sinners by which they are
not only sanctified here in this World but shall be glorified in that which is to come Unto which the Lord of his Mercy bring us all JOHN BUNYAN These are the several Titles which are set over the several Truths contained in this Book for thy sooner finding of them The First Part. 1. THE Words of the Text opened and the Doctrines laid down 2. What the Covenant of Works is and when it was given 3. What it is to be under the Covenant of Works 4. Who they are that are under the Covenant of Works 5. What men may attain to that are under this Covenant of Works The Second Part. 1. The Doctrine proved 2. The New Covenant made with Christ. 3. The Conditions of the New Covenant 4. The Suretiship of Christ. 5. Christ the Messengerof the New Covenant 6. Christ the Sacrifice of the New Covenant 7. Christ the High Priest of the New Covenant 8. Christ compleatly fulfilled the Conditions of the New Covenant 9. The Covenant of Grace unchangeable the Opposers answered 10. Who and how men are actually brought into the New Covenant 11. A Word of Experience 12. The Priviledges of the New Covenant 13. Two Hell bred Objections answered 14. A Use of Examination about the Old Covenant 15. A Legal Spirit 16. The Use of the New Covenant 17. The unpardonable Sin 18. Objections answered for their Comfort who would have their part in the New Covenant THE DOCTRINE OF THE Law and Grace unfolded OR A Discovery of the Law and Grace the Nature of the one and the Nature of the other as they are the two Covenants c. Rom. 6. 14. For ye are not under the Law but under Grace IN the three former Chapters the Apostle is pleading for the salvation of sinners by Grace without the Works of the Law to the end he might confirm the Saints and also that he might win over all those that did oppose the truth of this Doctrine or else leave them the more without excuse and that he might so do he taketh in hand First to shew the state of all men naturally or as they come into the world by Generation saying in the third Chapter There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that doth good c. As if he had said It seems there is a Generation of men that think to be saved by the righteousness of the Law but let me tell them that they are much deceived in that they have already sinned against the Law For by the disobedience of one many yea all was brought into a state of condemnation Rom. 5. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. Now in the sixth Chapter he doth as if he had turned him round to the Brethren and said My Brethren you see now that it is clear and evident that it is freely by the Grace of Christ that we do inherit eternal life And again for your comfort my brethren let me tell you that your condition is wondrous safe in that you are under Grace for saith he Sin shall not have dominion over you that is neither the damning power neither the filthy power so as to destroy your souls For you are not under the Law that is you are not under that that will damn you for sin But you are under grace or stand thus in relation to God that though you have sinned yet you shall be pardoned For you are not under the Law c. If any should ask what is the meaning of the word UNDER I answer it signifieth you are not held kept or shut up by it so as to appear before God under that administration and none but that or thus you are not now bound by the authority of the Law to fulfil it and obey it so as to have no salvation without you so do or thus if you transgress against any one tittle of it you by the power of it must be condemned No no for you are not so under it that is not thus under the Law Again For you are not under the Law what is meant by this word LAW The word Law in Scripture may be taken more ways then one as might be largely cleared There is the Law of Faith the Law of Sin the Law of Men the Law of Works otherwise called the Covenant of Works or the first or old Covenant Heb. 8. 13. In that he saith a new Covenant which is the Grace of God or commonly called the Covenant of Grace he hath made the first old that is the Covenant of Works or the Law I say therefore the word LAW and the word GRACE in this sixth of the Romans do hold forth the two Covenants which all Men are under that is either the one or the other For ye are not under the Law that is you to whom I do now write these words who are and have been effectually brought into the faith of Jesus you are not under the Law or under the Covenant of Works He doth not therefore apply these words to all but to some when he saith But ye mark YE ye Believers ye Converted persons ye Saints ye that have been born again Ye for ye are not under the Law implying others are that are in their natural state that have not been brought into the Covenant of Grace by faith in Jesus Christ. The words therefore being thus understood there is discovered these two Truths in them Doct. 1. First That there are some in Gospel times that are under the Covenant of Works Doct. 2. Secondly That there is never a Believer under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works but under Grace through Christ For ye you Believers you Converted persons Ye are not under the Law but under Grace or for you are delivered and brought into or under the Covenant of Grace For the first That there are some that are under the Law or under the Covenant of Works see I pray you that Scripture in the third of the Romans where the Apostle speaking before of sins against the Law and of the denunciations thereof against those that are in that condition he saith What things soever the Law saith it saith to them that are under Mark it saith to them that are under the Law That every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. That is all those that are under the Law as a Covenant of Works that are yet in their sins and unconverted as I told you before Again Gal. 5. 18. He saith But if you be led by the Spirit you are under the Law implying again that those which are for sinning against the Law or the works of the Law either as it is the old Covenant these are under the Law and not under the Covenant of Grace Again Gal. the 3. the 10. Verse there he saith For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse that is they that are under the Law are under the Curse for
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
continueth not in all things that continueth not in all things mark that which are written in the Book of the Law to do them but if a man do keep all the Law of God his whole life time only sin one time before he dies that one sin is a breach of the Law and he hath not continued in doing the things contained therein For for to continue according to the sense of this Scripture is to hold on without any failing either in thought word or deed therefore I say though a man do walk up to the Law all his life time but only at the very last sin one time before he die he is sure to perish for ever dying under that Covenant For my Friends you must understand that the Law of God is yea as well as the Gospel and as they that are under the Covenant of Grace shall surely be saved by it so even so they that are under the Covenant of Works and the Law they shall surely be damned by it if continuing there This is the Covenant of Works and the nature of it Namely not to bate any thing no not a mite to him that lives and dies under it I tell thee saith Christ thou shalt not depart thence that is from under the Curse till thou hast paid the very last mite Luke 12. 59. 5. Again you must consider that this Law doth only condemn words and actions as I said before but it hath authority to condemn the most secret thought of the heart being evil so that if thou do not speak any word that is evil as swearing lying jesting dissembling or any other word that tendeth to or savoureth of sin yet if there should chance to pass but one vain thought thorow thy heart but once in all thy life time the Law taketh hold of it accuseth and also will condemn thee for it You may see one instance for all in the fifth of Matthew at the 27 28. verses where Christ saith That though a man do not lie with a woman carnally yet if he do but look on her and in his heart lust after her he is counted by the Law being rightly expounded such a one that hath committed the sin and thereby hath laid himself under the condemnation of the Law And so likewise of all the rest of the commands if there be any thought that is evil do but pass thorow thy heart whether it be against God or against man in the least measure though possibly not discerned of thee or by thee yet the Law takes hold of thee therefore and doth by its authority both cast condemn and execute thee for thy so doing The thought of wickedness is sin Prov. 6. Again the Law is of that nature and severity that it doth not only enquire into the generallty of thy life as touching several things whether thou art upright there or no but the Law doth also follow thee into all thy holy duties and watcheth over thee there to see whether thou doest do all things aright there that is to say whether when thou doest pray thy heart hath no wandring thoughts in it whether thou do every holy duty thou doest perfectly without the least mixture of sin and if it do find thee to slip or in the least measure to fail in any holy duty that thou doest perform the Law taketh hold on that and findeth fault with that so as to render all the holy duties that ever thou didst unavailable because of that I say if when thou art a hearing there is out one vain thought or in praying but one vain thought or in any other thing whatsoever let it be civil or spiritual one vain thought once in all thy life time will cause the Law to take such hold on it that for that one thing it doth even set open all the Flood gates of Gods wrath against thee and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—bly by that Covenant it doth bring eternal vengeance upon thee So that I say look which ways thou wilt and fail wherein thou wilt and do it as seldom as ever thou caâ—sto either in civil or spiritual things as aforesaid that is either in the service of God or in thy employments in the world as thy trade or calling either in buying or selling any way in any thing whatsoever I say if in any particular it findeth thee tardy or in the least measure guilty it calleth thee an offender 〈◊〉 accuseth thee to God it puts a stop to all the promises thereof that are joyned to the Law and leaves thee there as a cursed transgressor against God and a destroyer of thy own soul. Here I would have thee by the way for to take notice that it is not my intent at this time to inlarge on the several Commands in particular for that would be very me to write and thee to read only thus much I would have thee to do at the reading hereof make a pause and sit still one quarter of an hour and muse a little in thy mind thus with thy self and say Did I ever break the Law yea or no had I ever in all my life time one sinful thought passed thorough my heart since I was born yea or no and if thou findest thy self guilty as I am sure thou canst not otherwise choose but do unless thou shut thy eyes against thy every days practice then I say conclude thy self guilty of the breach of the first Covenant And when that this is done be sure in the next place thou do not straightway forget it and put it out of thy mind that thou art condemned by the same Covenant and then do not content thy self until thou do find that God hath sent thee a pardon from Heaven through the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator of the second Covenant And if God shall but give thee a heart to take this my counsel I do make no question but these words spoken by me will prove an instrument for the directing of thy heart to the right remedy for the salvation of thy soul. Thus much now touching the Law and the severity of it upon the person that is found under it having offended or broken any particular of it either in thought word or action and now before I do proceed to the next thing I shall answer four objections that do he in my way and also such as do stumble most part of the world The first Objection And first but you will say methinks you speak very harsh it is enough to daunt a body set the case therefore that a man after he hath sinned and broken the Law repenteth of his wickedness and promiseth to do so no more Will not God have mercy then and save a poor sinner then 1. Answ. I told you before that the Covenant once broken will execute upon the offender that which it doth threaten to lay upon him and as for your supposing that your repenting and promising to do so no more may help well and put you
in a condition to attain the mercy of God by the Law these thoughts do flow from gross ignorance both of the nature of sin and also of the nature of the justice of God And if I was to give you a description of one in a lost condition for the present I would brand him out with such a mark of ignorance as this is 2. Answ. The Law as it is a Covenant of works doth not allow of any repentance unto life to those that live and die under it for the Law being once broken by thee never speaks good unto thee neither doth God at all regard thee If thou be under that Covenant notwithstanding all thy repentings and also promises to do so no more No saith the Law thou hast sinned therefore I must curse thee for it is my nature to curse even and nothing else but curse every 〈◊〉 that doth in any point transgress against me Gal. 3. 10. They brake my Covenant and I regarded 〈◊〉 not saith the Lord Heb. 8. Let them cry I will not regard them let them report I will not regard them they have broken my Covenant and done that in which I delighted not therefore by that Covenant I do curse and not bless damn and not save frown and not smile reject and not embrace charge sin and not forgive it They brake my Covenant and I regarded them not So that I say if thou break the Law the first Covenant and thou being found there God looking on thee thorow that he hath no regard on thee no pity for thee no delight in thee Object 2. But hath not the Law promises as well as threatnings saying The man that doth these things shall live mark he shall live by them or in them Answ. First to break the Commandments is not to keep or fulfil the same but thou hast broken them therefore the promise doth not belong to thee by that Covenant Secondly the promises that are of the Law are conditional and so not performed unless there be a full and continual obedience to every particular of it and that without the feast sin Do this mark do this and afterwards thou shalt live but if thou break one point of it once in all thy life thou hast not done the Law therefore the the promises following the Law do not belong unto thee if one sin hath been committed by thee As thus I will give you a plain instance Set the case there be a Law made by the King that if any man speak a word against him he must be put to death and this must not be revoked but must for certain be expected on the offender though though there be a promise made to them that do not speak a word against him that they shall have great love from him yet this promise is nothing to the offender he is like to have no share in it or to be ever the better for it but contrariwise the Law that he hath offended must be executed on him for his sin shutteth him out from a share of or in the Promises So it is here there is a promise made indeed but to whom Why it is to none but those that live without sinning against the Law but if thou I say sin one time against it in all thy lifetime thou art gone and not one promise belongs to thee if thou continue under this Covenant Methinks the Prisoners at the bar having offended the Law and the charge of a just Judge towards them do much hold forth the Law as it is a Covenant of Works and how it deals with them that are under it The Prisoner having offended cries out for mercy good my Lord mercy saith he pray my Lord pity me the Judge saith What canst thou say for thy self that Sentence of Death should not be passed upon thee Why nothing but this I pray my Lord be merciful But he answers again Friend the Law must take place the Law must not be broken The Prisoner saith Good my Lord spare me and I will never do so any more The Judge notwithstanding the mans out-cries and sad condition must according to the tenor of the Law pass Judgment upon him and the Sentence of the Condemnation must be read to the Prisoner though it makes them fall down dead to hear it if he executes the Law as he ought to do And just thus it is concerning the Law of God Object 3. I but sometimes for all your haste the Judge doth also give some Pardons and forgive some offenders notwithstanding their offences though he be a Judge Answ. It is not because the Law is merciful but because there is manifested the love of the Judge not the love of the Law I beseech you to mark this distinction for if a man that hath deserved death by the Law be notwithstanding this forgiven his offence it is not because the Law saith spare him but it is the love of the Judge or Chief Magistrate that doth set the man free from the Condemnation of the Law But mark here the Law of Men and the Law of God do differ the Law of Man is not so irrevokable but if the Supream please he may sometimes grant a Pardon without satisfaction given for the offence but the Law of God is of this nature that if the Man be found under it and a transgrssor or one that hath transgressed against it before that Prisoner can be released there must be a full and compleat satisfaction given to it either by the mans own life or by the blood of some other man For without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9. 22. that is there is no deliverance from under the curse of the Law of God and therefore however the Law of man may be made of none effect sometimes by shewing mercy without giving of a full satisfaction yet the Law of God cannot be so contented nor at the least give way that the person offending that should escape the curse and not be damned except some one do give a full and compleat satisfaction to it for him and bring the Prisoner into another Covenant to wit the Covenant of Grace which is more easie and soul-refreshing and sin-pardoning I say therefore you must understand that if there be a Law made that reaches the life to take it away for the 〈◊〉 given by the offender against it then it is clear that if the man be spared and saved it is not the Law that doth give the man this advantage but it is the meer mercy of the King either because he hath a ransom or satisfaction some other way or being provoked thereto out of his own love to the person whom he saveth Now thou also having transgressed and broken the Law of God if the Law be not executed upon thee it is not because the Law is merciful or can pass by the least offence done by thee but thy deliverance comes another way Therefore I say however it be by the Laws of
men where they be corrupted and perveâ—ted yet the Law of God is of that nature that if it hath not thy own blood or the blood of some other man for it calls for no loss for to ransom thee from the curse of it being due to thee for thy transgression and to satisfie the cries the doleful cries thereof and ever for to present thee pure and spotless before God notwithstanding this fiery Law thou art gone if thou hadst a thousand souls For without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9. 22. No forgivness of the least sin against the Law Object 4. But you will say I do not only repent 〈◊〉 of my formed life and also promise to do so no more but now I do labour to be righteous and to live a holy life and now instead of being a breaker of the Law I do labour to fulfill the same what say you to that Answ. See the case thou couldest walk like an Angel of God set the case thou couldest fulfill the whole Law and live from this day to thy lives end without sinning in thought word or deed which is unpossible but I say set the case it should be so why thy state is as bad if thou be under the first Covenant as ever it was For first I know thou darest not say but thou hast at one time or other sinned and it so then the Law hath condemned thee and it so then I am sure that thou with all thy actions and works of righteousness canst not remove the dreadful and unresistible Curse that is already laid upon thee by that Law which thou art under and which thou hast sinned against though thou livest the holiest life that any man can live in this world being under the Law of Works and so not under the Covenant of Grace thou must be cut off without remedy for thou hast sinned though afterwards thou live never so well The reasons for this that hath been spoken are these First Tho nature of Gods justice calls for it that is it calls for irrecoverable ruin on them that transgress against this Law for justice gave it and justice looks to have it compleatly and continually obeyed or else justice is resolved to take place and execute its office which is to punish the transgressor against it you must understand that the justice of God is as unchangable as his love his justice cannot change its nature justice it is if it be pleased and justice it is be if it displeased The justice of God in this place may be compared to fire there is a great fire made in some place if thou do keep out of it it is fire if thou do fall into it thou wilt find it fire and therefore the Apostle useth this as an Argument to stir up the Hebrews to stick close to Jesus Christ lest they fell under the justice of God by these words Heb. 12. 29. For our God is a consuming fire into which if thou fall it is not for thee to get out again as it is with some that fall into a material fire no but he that falls into this he must lie there for ever as it is clear where he saith Isa. 33. 14. Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings and with devouring fire For justice once offended knoweth not how to shew any pitty or compassion to the offender but runs on him like a Lion takes him by the throat throws him into Prison and there he is sure to lie and that to all eternity unless infinite satisfaction be given to it which is impossible to be given by any of us the sons of Adam Secondly the faithfulness of God calls for irrecoverable ruine to be poured out on those that shall live and die under this Covenant If thou having sinned but one sin against this Covenant and shouldest afterwards escape damning God must be unfaithful to himself and to his Word which both agree as one First he would be unfaithful to himself to himself that is to his Justice Holiness Righteousness Wisdom and Power if he should offer to stop the runnings out of his Justice for the damning of them that have offended it And secondly he would be unfaithful to his Word his written Word and deny disown and break that of which he hath said Luk. 16. 7. It is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass away than for one tittle of the Law to fail or be made of none effect now if he should not according to his certain declarations therein take vengeance on those that fall and die within the threat and sad curses denounced it that his word could not be fulfilled Thirdly Because otherwise he would disown the sayings of his Prophets and gratifie the sayings of his enemies his Prophets say he will take vengeance his enemies say he will not his Prophets say he will remember their iniquities and recompence them into their bosom but his enemies say they shall do well and they shall have peace though they walk after the imagination of their own heart Deut. 29. 19 20. and be not so strict as the word commands and do not as it saith but let me tell thee hadst thou a thousand souls and each of them was worth a thousand worlds God would set them all on a light fire if they fall within the condemnings of his Word and thou die without a Jesus even the right Jesus for the Scriptures cannot be broken What doest thou think that God Christ Prophets and Scriptures will all lie for thee and falsifie their words for thee it will be but ill venturing thy soul upon that And the reasons for it are these First Because God is God and Secondly because Man is Man First Because God is perfectly just and eternally just perfectly holy and eternâ—lly holy perfectly faithful and eternally faithful that is without any variableness or shadow of turning but perfectly continueth the same and can as well cease to be God as to alter or change the nature of his God-head And as he is thus the perfection of all perfections he gave out his Law to be obeyed but if any offend it then they fall into the hands of this his eternal justice and so must drink of his irrecoverable wrath which is the execution of the same justice I say this being thus the Law being broken justice takes place and so faithfulness followeth to see that execution be done and also to testifie that he is true and doth denounce his unspeakable â—nsupportable and unchangeable vengeance on the party offending Secondly Because thou art not as infinite as God but a poor created weed that is here to day and gone to morrow and not able to answer God in his Essence Being and Attributes thou art found to fall under him for that thy soul or body can do nothing that is infinite in such a way as to satisfie this God which is an infinite God in all his attributes But to declare unto you the misery of man
by this Law to purpose I do beseech you to take notice of these following particulars besides what hath been already spoken First I shall shew the danger of them by reason of the Law as they come from Adam Secondly as they are in their own persons particularly under it 1. First as they come from Adam they are in a sad condition because he left them a broken Covenant or take it thus because they while they were in him did with him break that Covenant Oh! this was the treasure that Adam left to his posterity it was a broken Covenant insomuch that death reigned over all his Children and doth still to this day as they come from him both natural and eternal death Rom. the 5. It may be Drunkard Swearer Liar Thief thou dost not think of this 2. Secondly he did not only leave them a broken Covenant but also made them himself sinners against it he made them sinners By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom 5. 19. And this is worse than the first 3. Thirdly not only so but he did deprive them of their strength by which at first they were enabled to stand and left them no more than dead men Oh helpless state Oh! how beggarly and miserable are the sons of Adam 4. Fourthly not only so but also before he left them he was the conduit-pipe through which the Devil did convey of his poisoned spawn and venome nature into the hearts of Adams sons and daughters by which they are at this day so strongly and so violently carried away that they flie as fast to Hell and the Devil by reason of sin as chaff before a mighty wind 5. Fifthly in a word Adam led them out of their Paradise that is one more and put out their eyes that is another and left them to the leading of the Devil O sad Canst thou hear this and not have thy ears to tingle and burn on thy head Can'st thou read this and not feel this and not feel thy Conscience begin to throb and dagg If so surely it is because thou art either possessed with the Devil or besides thy self But I pass this and come to the second thing which is the cause of their being in a sad condition which is by reason of their being in their Particular persons under it First therefore they that are under the Law they are in a sad condition because they are under that which is more ready through our infirmity to curse than to bless they are under that called the ministration of condemnation 2 Cor. 3. that is they are under that dispensation or administration whose proper work is to curse and condemn and nothing else Secondly their condition is sad who are under the Law because they are not only under that administration that doth condemn but also that which doth wait an opportunity to condemn the Law doth not wait that it might be gracious but it doth wait to curse and condemn I it came on purpose to discover sin Rom. 5. 20. The Law entred saith the Apostle that the offence might abound or appear indeed to be that which God doth hate and also to curse for that which hath been committed as he saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. Thirdly they are in a sad condition be-because that administration they are under that are under the Law doth always find fault with the sinners obedience as well as his disobedience if it be not done in a right spirit which they that are under that Covenant cannot do by reason of their being destitute of Faith therefore I say it doth controle them saying This was not well done this was done by the halves this was not done freely and that was not done perfectly and out of love to God and hence it is that some men notwithstanding they labour to live as holy as ever they can according to the Law yet they do not live a peaceable life but are full of condemnings full of guilt and torment of Conscience finding themselves to fail here and to fall short there omitting this good which the Law commands and doing that evil which the Law forbids but never giveth them one good word for all their pains Fourthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they are under that administration that will never be contented with what is done by the sinner if thou be under this Covenant work as hard as thou can'st the Law will never say Well done never say My good servant No but always it will be driving of thee faster hastning of thee harder giving of thee fresh commands which thou must do and upon pain of damnation not to be left undone Nay it is such a Master that will curse thee not only for thy sins but also because thy good works were not so well done as they ought to be Fifthly they that are under this Covenant or Law their state is very sad because this Law doth command impossible things of him that is under it and yet doth but right in it seeing man at the first had in Adam strength to stand if he would have used it and the Law was given then as I said before when man was in his full strength and therefore no unequality if it commands the same still seeing God that gave thee strength did not take it away I will give you a similitude for the clearing of it set the case that I give to my servant ten pounds with this charge lay it out for my best advantage that I may have my own again with profit now if my servant contrary to my command goeth and spends my money in a disobedient way is it any unequality in me to demand of my servant what I gave him at first nay and though he have nothing to pay I may lawfully cast him into Prison and keep him there until I have satisfaction So here the Law was delivered to man at the first when he was in a possibility to have fulfilled it now then though man have lost his strength yet God is just in commanding the same work to be done I and if they do not do the same things I say that are impossible for them to do it is just with God to damn them seeing it was they themselves that brought themselves into this condition therefore saith the Apostle What things soever the Law or Commands saith it saith to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. and this is thy sad condition that art under the Law Gal. 3. 10. But if any should object and say but the Law doth not command unpossible things of natural man I should answer in this case as the Apostle did in another very much like unto it saying They know not what they say nor whereof they affirm For doth not
the Law command thee to love the Lord thy God with all thy soul with all thy strength with all thy might c. and can the natural man do this Jer. 13. 23. How can those that are accustomed to do evil do that which is commanded in this particular Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Doth the Law command thee to do good and nothing but good and that with all thy soul heart and delight which the Law as a Covenant of Works called for and can'st thou being Carnal do that But there is no man that hath understanding if he should hear thee say so but would say that thou wast either bewitched or stark mad Sixthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because that though they follow the Law or Covenant of Works I say though they follow it it will not lead them to Heaven no but contrariwise it will lead them under the Curse It is not possible saith Paul that any should be justified by the Law or by our following of it for by that is the knowledge of sin and by it we are condemned for the same which is far from leading us to life being the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3. and again Israel that followeth after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by faith but by the Law and by the Works thereof Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Seventhly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they do not know whether ever they shall have any wages for their work or no they shall have no assurance of the pardon of their sins neither any hopes of eternal life but poor hearts as they are they work for they do not know what even like a poor Horse that works hard all day and at night hath a dirty Stable for his pains so thou mayest work hard all the days of thy life and at the day of death instead of having of a glorious rest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou mayest nay thou shalt have for thy sins the damnation of thy soul and body in Hell to all eternity for as much as I said before that the Law if thou sinnest it doth not take notice of any good work done by thee but takes its advantage to destroy and cut off thy soul for the sin thou hast committed Eighthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they are under that administration upon whose souls God doth not smile they dying there for the administration that God doth smile upon his Children through is the Covenant of Grace they being in Jesus Christ the Lord of life and consolation but contrariwise to those that are under the Law for they have his frowns his rebukes his threatnings and with much severity they must be dealt withal For they break my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord Heb. 8. 9. Ninthly they are in a sad condition because they are out of the faith of Christ they that are under the Law have not the faith of Christ in them for that dispensation which they are under is not the administration of faith The Law is not of faith saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 2. Tenthly because they have not received the Spirit for that is received by the bearing of faith and not by the Law nor the Works thereof Gal. 3. 2. Eleventhly in a word if thou live and die under that Covenant Jesus Christ will neither pray for thee neither let thee have one drop of his Blood to wash away thy sins neither shalt thou be so much as one of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven for all these priviledges come to souls under another Covenant as the Apostle saith For such are not under the Law but under Grace that is such as have a share in the benefits of Jesus Christ or such as are brought from under the first Covenant into the second or from under the Law into the Grace of Christs Gospel without which Covenant of Grace and being found in that there is no soul can have the least hope of eternal life no joy in the holy Ghost no share in the priviledges of Saints because they are tied up from them by the limits and bonds of the Covenant of Works For you must understand that these two Covenants have their several bounds and limitations for the ruling and keeping in subjection or giving of freedom to the parties under the said Covenants now they that are under the Law are within the compass and the jurisdiction of that and are bound to be in subjection to that and living and dying under that they must stand and fall to that as Paul saith To his own master he shall stand or fall The Covenant of Grace doth admit to those that are under it also liberty and freedom together with commanding of subjection to the things contained in it which I shall speak to further hereafter But now that the former things may be further made to appear that is what the sad condition of all them that are under the Law is as I have shewn you something of the nature of the Law so also shall I shew that the Law was added and given for that purpose that it might be so with those that are out of the Covenant of Grace First God did give the Law that sin might abound Rom. 5. 20. not that it should take away sin in any but to discover the sin which is already begotten or that may hereafter be begotten by Lust and Satan I say this is one proper work of the Law to make manifest sin it is sent to find fault with the sinner and it doth also watch that it may so do and it doth take all advantages for the accomplishing of its work in them that give ear thereto or do not give ear if it have the rule over them I say it is like a man that is sent by his Lord to see and pry into the labours and works of other men taking every advantage to discover their infirmities and failings and to chide them yea to throw them out of the Lords favour for the same Secondly Another great end why the Lord did add or give the Law it was that no man might have any thing to lay to the charge of the Lord for his condemning of them that do transgress against the same You know that if a man should be had before an Officer or Judge and there be condemned and yet by no Law he that condemns him might be very well reprehended or reproved for passing the Judgment yea the party himself might have better ground to plead for his liberty than the other to plead for the condemning of him but this shall not be so in the judgment day but contrariwise for then every man shall be forced to lay his hand on his mouth and hold his tongue at the Judgment of God when it is passed
upon them therefore saith the Apostle What things soever the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that is all the commands all the curses and threatnings that are spoken by it are spoken saith he that every mouth may be stopped mark I beseech you it saith saith he that every mouth might be stopped and that all the world might become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. So that now in case any in the judgment day should object against the judgment of God as those in the 25. of Matthew do saying Lord when saw we thee thus and thus And why dost thou pass such a sad sentence of condemnation upon us surely this is injustice and not equity Now for the preventing of this the Law was given I and that it might prevent thee to purpose God gave it betimes before either thy first father had sinned or thou wast born So that again if there should be these Objections offered against the proceedings of the Lord in justice and judgment saying Lord why am I thus condemned I did not know it was sin now against these two was the Law given and that betimes so that both these are answered If the first come in and say why am I judged why am I damned then will the Law come in even all the Ten Commandments with every one of their cries against thy soul the first saying he hath sinned against me damn him the second saying also he hath transgressed against me damn him the third also saying the same together with the 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. even all of them will discharge themselves against thy soul if thou die under the first Covenant saying he or they have transgressed against us damn them damn them and I tell thee also that these ten great guns the Ten Commandments will with discharging themselves in justice against thy soul so rattle in thy conscience that thou wilt in spight of thy teeth be immediately put to silence and have thy mouth stopped and let me tell thee further that if thou shalt appear before God to have the Ten Commandments discharge themselves against thee thou hadst better be tied to a tree and have ten yea ten thousand of the biggest pieces of Ordnance in the world to be shot off against thee for these could go no further but only to kill the body but they both body and soul to be tormented in Hell with the Devil to all eternity 3. Again if the second thing should be objected saying But Lord I did not think this had been sin or the other had been sin for no body told me so then also will the giving of the Law take off that saying nay but I was given to thy father Adam before he had sinned or before thou wast born and have ever since been in thy soul to convince thee of thy sins and to controul thee for doing the thing that was not right Did not I secretly tell thee at such a time in such a place when thou wast doing of such a thing with such a one or when thou wast all alone that this was a sin and that God did forbid it therefore if thou didst commit it God would be displeased with thee for it And when thou wast thinking to do such a thing at such a time did not I say forbear do not so God will smite thee and punish thee for it if thou doest do it And besides God did so order it that you had me in your Houses in your Bibles and also you could speak and talk of me thus pleading the truth thou shalt be forced to confess it is so nay it shall be so in some sort with the very Gentiles and barbarous People that fall far short of that light we have in these parts of the world for saith the Apostle The Gentiles which have not the Law these do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law that is not written as we have yet they are a Law unto themselves which sheweth the works of the Lavv is vvriten in their hearts Rom. 2. 14 15. that is they have the Law of works in them by nature and therefore they shall be left without excuse for their own consciences shall stand up for the truth of this where he saith Their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another I but when Why in the day vvhen God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2. 15 16. So this I say is another end for which the Lord did give the Law namely that God might pass a sentence in righteousness without being charged with any injustice by those that shall fall under it in the judgment 4. A fourth end why the Lord did give the Law it was because they that die out of Jesus Christ might not only have their mouths stopped but also that their persons might become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. and indeed this will be the ground of silencing as I said before they finding themselves guilty their consciences backing the truth of the judgment of God passed upon them they shall become guilty that is they shall be fit vessels for the wrath of God to be poured out into being filled with guilt by reason of transgressions against the Commandments thus therefore shall the parties under the first Covenant be fitted to destruction Rom. 9. 22. even as wood or straw being well dried is fitted for the fire and the Law was added and given and speaks to this very end that sins might be shewn mouths might be stopt from quarrelling And that all the vvorld mark the vvorld might become guilty before God and so be in justice for ever and ever overthrown because of their sins And this will be so for these reasons First Because God hath a time to magnifie his justice and holiness as well as to shew his forbearance and mercy We read in Scripture that his eyes are too pure to behold iniquity Hab 1. 13. and then we shall find it true We read in Scripture that he will magnifie the Law and make it honourable and then he will do it indeed Now because the Lord doth not strike so soon as he is provoked by sin therefore poor souls will not know nor regard the Justice of God neither do they consider the time in which it must be advanced which will be when men drop under the wrath of God as fast as hail in a mighty storm 2 Pet. 3. 9. Psal. 50. 21 22. Now therefore look to it all you that count the long-suffering and forbearance of Gods slackness and because for the present he keepeth silence therefore to think that he is like unto your selves No no but know that God hath his set time for every purpose of his and in its time it shall be advanced most marvellously to the everlasting astonishment and overthrow of that soul that shall be dealt withal by Justice
and the Law O! how will God advance his Justice O! how will God advance his Holiness First By shewing men that he in justice cannot will not regard them because they have sinned And secondly In that his holiness will not give way for such unclean wretches to abide in his sight his eyes are so pure Secondly Because God will make it appear that he will be as good as his word to sinners sinners must not look to escape always though they may escape a while yet they shall not go for all ado unpunished no but they shall have their due to a farthing when every threatning and curse shall be accomplished and fulfilled on the head of the transgressor Friend there is never an idle word that thou speakest but God will account with thee for it there is never a lie thou tellest but God will reckon with thee for it nay there shall not pass so much as one passage in all thy life-time but God the righteous God will have it in the trial by his Law if thou die under it in the Judgment-day But you will say But who are those that are thus under the Law Answ. Those that under the Law may be branched out into three ranks of men either first such as are grosly prophane or such as are more refined which may be two ways some in a lower sort and some in a more eminent vvay First Then they are under the Lavv as a Covenant of Works who are open prophane and ungodly vvretches such as delight not only in sin but also make their boast of the same and brag at the thoughts of committing of it now as for such as these are there is a Scripture in the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy the 1 Chap. at the 9. and 10. verses which is a notable one to this purpose The Lavv saith he is not made for a righteous man not as it is a Covenant of Works but for the unrighteous or lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for man-slayers for whore-mongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers liars look to it liars for perjured persons and in a word if there be any other thing that is not according to sound Doctrine These are one sort of People that are under the Law and so under the curse of the same whose due is to drink up the brim-full Cup of Gods eternal vengeance and therefore I beseech you not to deceive your selves For know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Neither Fornicators nor Idolators nor Adulterers nor Effeminates nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Poor souls you think that you may have your sins your lusts and pleasures and yet you shall do pretty well and be let to go free in the Judgment day but see what God saith of such in that 9. of Deuternomy at the 19. and 20. verses Which shall bless themselves in their heart saying I shall have peace I shall be saved I shall do as well as others in the day when God shall judge the World by Jesus Christ but saith God I will not spare them no but my anger and my jealousie shall smoke against them How far even to the executing all the curses that are written in the Law of God upon them Nay saith God I will be even with them For I will blot out their names from under Heaven And indeed it must of necessity be so because such souls are unbelievers in their sins and under the Law which cannot will not shew any mercy on them for it is not the administration of mercy and life but the administration of death and destruction as you have it 2 Cor. the 3. Chap. the 7 9. verses and all those every one of them that are open prophane and scandalous wretches are under it and have been so ever since they came into the World to this day and they will for certain live and die under the same dispensation and then be damned to all eternity if they be not converted from under that Covenant into and under the Covenant of Grace of which I shall speak in its place and yet for all this how brag and cranck are our poor wantons and wicked ones in this day of forbearance as if God would never have a reckoning with them as if there was no Law to condemn them as if there was no hell fire to put them into but Oh! how will they be deceived when they shall see Christ sitting upon the Judgment-seat having laid aside his priestly and prophetical Office and appearing only as a Judge to the wicked When they shall see all the records of Heaven unfolded and laid open when they shall see each man his name out of the Book of Life and in the Book of the Law when they shall see God in his Majesty Christ in his Majesty the Saints in their Dignity but themselves in their Impurity what will they say then whither will they fliethen where will they leave their glory Isa 10. 3. O sad state Secondly They are under the Law also who do not only so break and disobey the Lavv but follow after the Law as hard as ever they can seeking justification thereby that is though a man should abstain from the sins against the Law and labour to fulfil the Law and give up himself to the Lavv yet if he look no further than the Lavv he is still under the Lavv and for all his obedience to the Lavv the righteous Law of God he shall be destroyed by that Lavv. Friend you must not understand that none but profane persons are under the Law No but you must understand that a man may be turned from a vain loose open prophane Conversation and sinning against the Law to a holy righteous religious life and yet be in the same state under the same Law and as sure to be damned as the other that are more prophane and loose And though you may say this is very strange yet I shall both say it and prove it to be true Read with understanding that Scripture in Romans 9. at the 30 31. verses where the Apostle speaking of the very same thing saith But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness mark that followed after the Law of righteousness they notwithstanding their earnest pursuit or hunting after the Law of righteousness fell short of the Law of righteousness It signifies thus much to us that let a man be never so earnest so servent so restless so serious so ready so apt and willing to follow the Law and the righteousness thereof if he be under that Covenant he is gone he is lost he is deprived of eternal life because he is not under the ministration of life if he die there read also that
Scripture Gal. 3. 10. which saith For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse mark they that are of the Works of the Law now for to be of the works of the Law it is to be of the works of the righteousness thereof that is to abstain from sins against the Law and to do the commands thereof as near as ever they can for their lives or with all the might they have and therefore I beseech you to consider it for mens being ignorant of this is the cause why so many go on supposing they have a share in Christ because they are reformed and abstain from the sins against the Law who when all comes to all will be damned notwithstanding because they are not brought out from under the Covenant of Works and put under the Covenant of Grace Object But can you in very deed make these things manifestly evident from the Word of God methinks to reason this is very strange that a man should labour to walk up according to the Law of God as much as ever he can and yet that men notwithstanding this should be still under the Curse Pray clear it Answ. Truly this doth seem very strange I do know full well to the natural man to him that is yet in his unbelief because he goeth by beguiled reason but for my part I do know it is so and shall labour also to convince thee of the truth of the same First Then the Law is thus strict and severe that if a man do sin but once against it he I say is gone for ever by the Law living and dying under that Covenant If you would be satisfied as touching the truth of this do but read the third of the Galations at the 10. verse Where it saith Cursed is every one that is not a man shall misss by that Covenant that continueth not in all mark in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them pray mark here is a curse in the first place if all things written in the Book of the Law be not done and that continually too that is without any failing or one slip as I said before Now there is never a one in the world but before they did begin to yield obedience to the least command they in their own persons did sin against it by breaking of it the Apostle methinks is very notable for the clearing of this in that 3 of the Romans and also in the fifth in the one he endeavours for to prove that all had transgressed in the first Adam as he stood a common person representing both himself and us in his standing and falling Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore saith he as by one man sin entered into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men mark that but why for that all have sinned that is for as much as all naturally are guilty of original sin the sin that was committed by us in Adam So this is one cause why none can be justified by their obedience to the Law because they have in their first place broken it in their first parents But secondly In case this should be opposed and rejected by quarrelsome persons though there be no ground for it Paul hath another argument to back his Doctrine saying For we have proved already that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin First As it is written there is none righteous no not one Secondly They are all gone out of the way they are together mark together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Thirdly Their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of asps is under their lips Fourthly Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness Fifthly Their feet are swift to shed blood In a word Destruction and misery are in their ways And the way of peace they have not known Now then saith he having proved these things so clearly the conclusion of the whole is this That what thing soever the Law saith in both shewing of sin and cursing for the same it saith All to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Rom. 3. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. So that here I say lieth the ground of our not being justified by the Law even because in the first place we have sinned against it for know this for certain that if the Law doth take the least advantage of thee by thy sinning against it all that ever thou shalt afterwards hear from it is nothing but curse curse curse him For not continuing in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Secondly Thou canst not be saved by the righteous Lavv of God the first Covenant because that together with this thy miserable state by original and actual sins before thou didst follow the Law since thy turning to the Law thou hast committed several sins against the Law In many things vve offend all So that now thy righteousness to the Law being mixed with sometimes the lust of concupiscence forâ—idation coverousness pride heart-risings against God coldness of affection towards him backwardness to good duties speaking idle words having of strife in your hearts and such like I say these things being thus the righteousness of the Law is become do weak through this our flesh Rom. 8. 30 and so notwithstanding all our obedience to the Law we are yet through our weakness under the Curse of the Law for as I said before the Law is so holy so just and so good that it cannot allow that any failing or slip should be done by them that look for life by the same Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing Gal. 3. 10. and this Paul knew full well which made him throw away all his righteousness But you will say that was his own Ansvver But it was even that which while he calls it his own he also calls it the righteousness of the Law see Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. and to account it but dung but as dirt on his shoes and that that he might be found in Christ and so he saved by him without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. But thirdly Set the case the righteousness of the Law which thou hast was pure and perfect without the least flaw or â—auâ—o without the least mixture of the least sinful thought yet this would fall far short of presenting of thee blameless in the sight of God And that I prove by these arguments The first Argument is That that which is not Christ cannot redeem souls from the Curse It cannot compleatly present them before the Lord. Now the Law is not Christ Therefore the Moral Law cannot by all our obedience to it deliver us from the curse that is due to us Act. 4. 12. The second Argument is That that righteousness that is not the
righteousness of faith that is by believing in Jesus Christ cannot please God Now the righteousness of the Law as a Covenant of works is not the righteousness of faith Therefore the righteousness of the Law as acted by us being under that Covenant cannot please God The first is proved in Heb. 1â— 6. But without faith it is impossible to please him mark it is impossible The second thus The Law is not of faith Gal. 3. 12. Rom. 10. 5 6. compared with Gal. 3. 11. But that no man is justified in the sight of the Lord by the Law it is evident for the just shall live by faith and the Law is not of faith But for the better understanding of those that are weak of apprehension I shall prove it thus First That soul that hath eternal life he must have it by right of purchase or redemption Heb. 9. 22. Eph. 1. 7. Secondly this purchase or redemption must be through the Blood of Christ. You have redemption through his Blood Without shedding of blood there is no remission Now the Law is not in a capacity to die and so to redeem sinners by the purchase of Blood which satisfaction justice calls for read the same Scriptures Heb. 9. 22. justice calls for satisfaction because thou hast transgressed and sinned against it and that must have satisfaction therefore all that ever thou canst do cannot bring in redemption though thou follow the Law up to the nail-head as I may say because all this is not shedding of blood for believe it and know it for certain that though thou hadst sinned but one sin before thou didst turn to the Law that one sin will murther thy soul if it be not washed away by blood even by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ that was shed when he did hang upon the Cross on Mount Calvary Object But you will say methinks that giving up you selves to live a righteous life should make God like better on us and so let us be saved by Christ because we are so willing to obey his Law Answ. The motive that moveth God to have mercy upon sinners is not because they are willing to follow the Law but because he is willing to save them Not for thy righteousness or for thy uprightness of heart doest thou possess the Land Deut. 9. 4 5 6. Now understand this if thy will to do righteousness was the first moving cause why God had mercy on thee through Christ then it must not be freely by grace I say freely but the Lord loves thee and saves thee upon free terms having nothing before-hand to make him accept of thy soul but only the Blood of Christ therefore to allow of such a principle it is to allow that grace is to be obtained by the works of the Law which is so gross darkness as lies in the darkest dungeon in Popery and is also directly opposite to Scripture For we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ not through the good that is in our selves or done by us Rom. 3. 24 〈◊〉 No But by faith without mark that without the deeds of the Law verse 28. Again not of vvorks lest any man should boast Eph. 2. 9. No no saith he Not according to our vvorks or righteousness but according to his ovvn purpose mark according to his ovvn purpose and grace which was a free gift given us in Christ Jesus not lately but before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 9. Object But you will say then why did God give the Law if we cannot have salvation by following of it Answ. I told you before that the Law was given for these following reasons First That thou mightest be convinced by it of thy sins and that thy sins might indeed appear very sinful unto thee which is done by the Law these ways First By shewing of thee what a holy God he is that did give the Law and secondly By shewing thee thy vileness and wickedness in that thou contrary to this holy God hast transgressed against and broken this his holy Law therefore saith Paul The Law was added that the offence might abound Rom. 5. 20. that is by shewing the creature the holiness of God and also it s own vileness Secondly That thou mayest know that God will not damn thee for nothing in the Judgment day Thirdly Because he would have no quarrelling at his just condemning of them at that day Fourthly Because he will make thee to know that he is a holy God and pure Quest. But seeing you have spoken thus far I wish you would do so much as to shew in some particulars both what men have done and how far they have gone and what they have received being yet under this Covenant which you call the ministration of condemnation Ansvv. This is something a difficult question and had need be not only warily but also home and soundly answered The question consists of three particulars First What men have done Secondly How far men have gone Thirdly What they have received and yet to beunder the Law or Covenant of Works and so in a state of condemnation As for the first I have spoken something in general to that already but for thy better understanding I shall speak yet more particularly First a man hath and may be convinced and troubled for his sins and yet be under this Covenant and that in a very heavy and dreadful manner in so much that he may find the weight of them to be intollerable and too heavy for him to bear as it was with Cain Gen. 4. 13. My punishment saith he is greater than I can bear Secondly A man living thus under a sense of his sins may repent and be sorry for them and yet be under this Covenant and yet be in a damned state Mat. 27. 3. And when he Judas saw what was done he repeated Thirdly Men may not only be convinced and also repent for their sins but they may also desire the prayers of the Children of God for them too and yet be under this Covenant and Curse Exod. 10. 16 17. And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said I have sinned intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me these plagues Fourthly A man may also humble himself for his offences and disobedience against his God and yet be under this Covenant see 1 Kings 21. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Fifthly A man may make restitution unto men for the offence he hath done unto them and yet be under this Covenant Sixthly A man may do much work for God in his generation and yet be under this first Covenant as Jehu who did do that which God bid him 2 King 9 25 26. and yet God threatneth even Jehu because though he did do the thing that the Lord commanded him yet he did it not from a right principle for had he the Lord would not have said Yet a little while and I will aâ—enge the blood of Jezreel
33 34 35 36 37 38 39. But Secondly Do you think that there was no change in the five foolish Virgins spoken of in Mat. 25. 1 2 3. Yes there was such a change in them very people that the five wise ones could give them admittance of walking with them in the most purer ways and institutions of the Gospel of Christ and yet but foolish nay they walked with them or shall walk with them until the Lord Jesus Christ shall break down from Heaven and yet but foolish Virgins and yet but under the Law and so under the Curse as I said before Object But say you we have disowned the Covenant of Works and turned from that also Answ. This is sooner said than done Alas alass poor souls think because they can say grace grace it is freely by grace therefore they are under the Covenant of Grace A very wide mistake you must understand thus much that though you be such as can speak of the Grace of the Gospel yet if you your selves be not brought under the very Covenant of Grace you are yet notwithstanding your talk and profession very far wide of a sense and of a share in the Covenant of the Grace of God held forth in the Gospel The Jews were men of a clearer understanding many of them then to conclude that the Law and only the Law was the way to salvation for they even they that received not the Christ of God did expect a Saviour should come John 7. 27 41 42 43. but they were men that had not that Gospel Spirit which alone is able to lead them to the very life marrow or substance of the Gospel in right terms and so being muddy in their understandings being between the thoughts of a Saviour and the thoughts of the Works of the Law thinking that they must be accomplished for the obtaining of a Saviour and his mercy towards them I say between these they fell short of a Saviour As many poor souls in these days they think they must be saved alone by the Saviour yet they think there is something to be done on their parts for the obtaining of the good will of the Saviour as their humiliation for sin their turning from the same their promises and vows and resolutions to become a new man joyn in Church-fellowship and what not and thus they bringing this along with them as a means to help them they fall short of eternal salvation if they convert not see that Scripture Rom. 9. 30 31 32. The Apostle saith there that they that sought not did obtain when they that did seek fell short What shall we say then saith he that the Gentiles which sought not after righteousness have attained to righteousness yea even the righteousness of faith and what else Why But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness have not attained to the Law of righteousness how came that to pass because saith he they sought it not by saith but as it were mark he doth not say altogether no but it were that is because as they sought they did a little by the by lean upon the Works of the Law And let me tell you that this is such a hard thing to beat men off of that though Paul himself did take the work in hand he did find enough to do touching it How is he saint to labour in the ten first Chapters of his Epistle to the Romans for the establishing of those that did even profess largely in the Doctrine of Grace And also in that Epistle to the Galatians and yet lost many do what he could Now the reason why the Doctrine of Grace doth so hardly down even with professors in truth effectually it is because there is a principle naturally in man that doth argue against the same and that thus why saith the soul I am a sinner and God is righteous holy and just his holy Law therefore having been broken by me I must by all means if ever I look to be saved In the first place be sorry for my sins Secondly Turn from the same Thirdly Follow after good duties and practise the good things of the Law and ordinances of the Gospel and so hope that God for Christs sake may forgive all my sins which is not the way to God as a Father in Christ but the way the very way to come to God by the Covenant of Works or the Law which things I shall more fully clear when I speak to the second doctrine Again therefore those that this day profess the Gospel for the generality of them they are such that notwithstanding their professien they are very ignorant of that glorious influence and Iâ—stre of the same I say they are ignorant of the vertue and efficacy of the glorious things of Christ held forth by and in the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 3. which doth argue their not being under the Covenant of Grace but rather under the Law or old Covenant As for instance If you do come among some professors of the Gospel in general you shall have them pretty busie and ripe also able to hold you in a very large discourse in several points of the same glorious Gospel but if you come to the same people and ask them concerning heart-work or what work the Gospel hath wrought on them and what appearance they have had of the sweet influences and vertues on their souls and consciences it may be they will give you such an answer as this I do find by the preaching thereof that I am changed and turned from my sins in a good measure and also have learned to distinguish between the Law and the Gospel so that for the one that is for the Gospel I can plead and also can shew the weakness and unprofitableness of the other and thus far it is like they may go which is not far enough to prove them under the Covenant of Grace though they may have their tongues so largely tipt with the profession of the same see 2 Pet. 2. 20. where he saith For if after they have escaped the pollutious of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which was not a saving knowledge they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end of that man is worse than his beginning See also Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4 c. and also Mat. 7. 22. Object But you will say is not this a fair declaring of the Work of Grace or doth it not discover that without all gain-saying we are under the Covenant of Grace when we are able not only to speak of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ but also to tell and that by experience that we have been changed from worse to better from sin to a holy life by leaving of the same and that by hearing of the Word preached Ans. A man may in the first place be able to talk of all the mysteries of the Gospel and that like an Angel of God and yet be no more
tender hearted high Priest able and willing to simpathize and be affected with the infirmities of others to pray for them to offer up for them his precious blood he must be such an one who can have compassion on a company of poor ignorant souls and on them that are out of the way to recover them and to set them in safety Heb. 4. 15. and that he might thus do he must be a man that had experience of the disadvantages that infirmity and sin did bring unto these poor creatures Heb. 2. 17. Fourthly The high Priests under the Law were not to be shie or squemish in case there was any that had the plague or leprosie scab or blaunches but must look on them go to them and offer for them Levit. 13. read that whole Chapter all which is to signifie that Jesus Christ should not refuse to take notice of the several infirmities of his poorest people but to teach them and to see that none of them be lost by reason of their infirmity for want of looking to or tending of This priviledge also have we under this second Covenant This is the way to make Grace shine Fifthly The high Priests under the Law they were to be anointed with very excellent Oyl compounded by art Exod. 29. 7. Chap. 30. 30. to signifie that Jesus the great high Priest of this New Covenant should be in a most eminent way anointed to his Priestly Office by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Sixthly The Priests food and livelihood in the time of his Ministry was to be the consecrated and holy things Exod. 29. 33. to signifie that it is the very meat and drink of Jesus Christ to do his Priestly Office and to save and preserve his poor tempted and afflicted Saints O what a New Covenant high Priest have we Seventhly The Priests under the Law were to be washed with water Exod. 29. 4. to signifie that Jesus Christ should not go about the work of his Priestly Office with the silth of sin upon him but was without sin to appear as our high Priest in the presence of his Father to execute his Priestly Office there for our advantage For such a high Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Heb. 7. 26. Eighthly The high Priests under the Law before they went into the holy place they were to be clothed with a curious garment a breast-place and an ephod and a robe and a broidered coat a mitre and a girdle and these were to be made of gold and blue and purple and scarlet and fine linnen and in this garment and glorious ornaments there must be precious stones and on those stones there must be written the names of the children of Israel read the 28. of Exodus and all was to signifie what a glorious high Priest Jesus Christ should be and how in the righteousness of God he should appear before God as our high Priest to offer up the sacrifice that was to be offered for our salvation to God his Father but I pass that Now I shall speak to his Office The Office of the high Priest in general was two-fold First To offer the sacrifice without the Camp Secondly To bring it within the vail that is into the holiest of all which did type out Heaven First It was the Office of the Priest to offer the sacrifice and so did Jesus Christ he did offer his own body and soul in sacrifice I say HE did OFFER it and not another as it is written No man taketh away my life but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again John 10. 17 18. And again it is said When he Jesus had offered up one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God Heb. 10. 12. Secondly The Priests under the Law must offer up the sacrifice that God had appointed and none else a compleat one without any blemish and so did our high Priest where he saith Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me and that will I offer Heb. 10. 5. Thirdly The Priest was to take of the ashes of the sacrifice and lay them in a clean place and this signifies that the body of Jesus after it had been offered should be laid into Josephs sepulchre as in a clean place where never any man before was laid Levit. 6. 11. compared with John 19. 41 42. This being one part of his office and when this was done then in the next place he was to put on the glorious garment when he was to go into the holiest and take of the blood and carry it thither c. he was to put on the holy garment which signifieth the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Secondly He was in this holy garment which hath in it the stones and in the stones the names of the Twelve Tribes of the children of Israel to appear in the holy place Exodus 28. And thou shalt take two Onix stones and shalt grave on them the names of the children of Israel Six of their names on one stone and the other six names of the rest on the other stone according to their birth ver 9 10. And this was to signifie that when Jesus Christ was to enter into the holiest then he was there to bear the names of his elect in the tables of his heart before the Throne of God and the Mercy-seat Heb. 12. 23. Thirdly With this he was to take of the blood of the sacrifices and carry it into the holiest of all which was a type of Heaven and there was he to sprinkle the mercy-seat and this was to be done by the high Priest only To signifie that none but Jesus Christ must have this office and priviledge to be the peoples high Priest to offer for them Heb. 9. 7. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year yet not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people Fourthly He was there to make an atonement for the people with the blood sprinkling of it upon the mercy-seat but this must be done with much incense Levit. 16. And Aaron shall bring the bullock which is for a sin-offering for himself and for his house and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the Altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the vail And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony that he dye not And he shall take of the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat east-ward and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times And then he shall kill the goat of the
justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ as if God had said Sinner thou thinkest because thou hast had so many infirmities and weaknesses in thy soul whilst thou hast been professing of me therefore now there can be no hopes of mercy but be it known unto thee that it was not any thing done by thee at the first that moved me to have mercy upon thee neither is it any thing that is done by thee now that shall make me either accept or reject thee behold my Son who standeth by me he is righteous he hath fulfilled my Law and given me good satisfaction on him therefore do I look and on thee only as thou art in him and according to what he hath done so will I deal with thee This having stayed my heart and taken off the guilt through the strength of its coming on my soul anon after came in that word as a second testimony He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began And thus is the sinner made alive from the dead being justified by Grace through the righteousness of Christ which is unto all and upon all them that believe according to the Scriptures And the life that I now live it is by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. I lay down my life for my sheep John 10. 10 15. I I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more then being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10 21. That as sin reigneth unto death even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly This life is not only imputed to him that is wrought on by the spirit of Grace that is not only counted his but also there is put into the soul an understanding enlightened on purpose to know the things of God which is Christ and his imputed righteousness 1 John 5. 20. which it never thought of nor understood before 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11. which understanding being enlightened and made to see such things that the soul cannot be contented without it lay hold of and apply Christ unto it self so effectually I say that the soul shall be exceedingly revived in a very heavenly measure with the application of this imputed righteousness for thereby it knoweth it shall find God speaking peace to its self and with a fatherly affection say Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee the righteousness of my Son I bestow upon thee For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the thy flesh I have sent forth my only Son and have condemned thy sins in his flesh Rom. 8. 3. 4. And though thou hast gone astray liste a lost sheep yet on him I have laid thine iniquities and though thou thereby didst undo and break thy self forever yet by his stripes I haue healed thee Thus I say the Lord causeth the soul by faith to apply that which he doth by grace impute unto it for thus every soul more or less is dealt withal the soul being thus inlightned thus quickned thus made alive from that dead state it was in before or at least having the beginnings of this life it hath these several vertuous advantages which they have not that are dead in their sins and trespasses and under the Law First It seeth what a sad condition all men by nature are in they being in that state which it self was in but a while since but now by grace it is a beginning to scrable out of it now it seeth the whole world lieth in wickedness 1 John 5. 19. and so liable to eternal vengeance because of their wickedness Ah friends let me tell you though you may be ignorant of your state and condition yet the poor groaning hungering Saints of God do see what a sad woeful miserable state you are in which sometimes makes them tremble to think of your most lamentable latter end you dying so and also to flie the faster to their Lord Jesus for very fear that they also should be partakers of that most doleful doom and this it hath by vertue of its own experience knowing it self was but a while ago in the same condition under the same condemnation O! there is now a hearty blessing of God that ever he should shew to it its sad condition and that he should incline its heart to seek after a better condition O blessed be the Lord saith the soul that ever he should awaken me stir up me and bring me out of that sad condition that I once with them was in It makes also the soul to wonder to see how foolishly and vainly the rest of its neighbours do spend their precious time that they should be so void of understanding so forgetful of their latter end so senseless of the damning nature of their sins O that their eyes was but inlightned to see whereabouts they are 〈◊〉 surely they would be of another mind then they are now in Now the soul wonders to see what slender pins those poor creatures do hang the stress of the eternal salvation of their souls upon O methinks saith the soul it makes me mourn to see that some should think that they were Born Christians and others that their Baptisme makes them so others depending barely upon a traditional historical faith which will leave their souls in the midst of plerplexity O that they should trust to such fables fancies and wicked slights of the Devil as their good doings their good thinkings their civil walking and living with the world O miserable profession and the end thereof will be a miserable end But now vvhen the soul is thus vvrought upon it must be sure to look for the very gates of hell to be set open against it vvith all their force and might to destroy it Novv hell rageth the devil roareth and all the world resolved do be the best they can to bring the soul again into bondage and ruine Also the soul shall not want enemies even in its own hearts lust as covetousness adultery blasphemy unbelief hardness of heart coldness half-heartedness ignorance with an innumerable company of attendants hanging like so many blocks at its heels ready to sink it into the fire of hell every moment together with strange apprehensions of God and Christ as if now they were absolutely turned to be its enemies which maketh it doubt of the certainty of its salvation For you must understand that though a soul may in reality have the righteousness of the Son of God imputed to it and also some faith in a very strong manner to lay hold upon it yet
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
Covenant of Grace speaking first of the publick person under the name of David he saith thus Psal. 89. from the 26. verse to the 37. He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God and the rock of my Salvation Also I will make him my first-born higher then the kings of the earth My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the days of heaven If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgment If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David His seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the Sun before me it shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithful witness in heaven My Covenant shall stand fast with him mark that As if God had said I did not make this Covenant with man but with my Son and with him I will perform it and seeing he hath given me compleat satisfaction though his Children do through infirmity transgress yet my Covenant is not therefore broken seeing he with whom it was made standeth firm according to the desire of my heart so that my justice that is satisfied and 〈◊〉 Law hath nothing to say for there is no want of perfection in the sacrifice of Christ. If you love your souls and would have them live in the peace of God to the which you are called in one body even all Believers then I beseech you seriously to ponder and labour to settle in your souls this one thing that the New Covenant is not broken by our transgressions and that because it was not made with us The reason why the very Saints of God have so many ups and downs in this their travel towards heaven it is because they are so weak in the faith of this one thing for they think that if they fail of this or that particular performance if their hearts be dead and cold and their lusts mighty and strong therefore now God is angry and now be will shut them out of his favour now the New Covenant is broken and now Christ Jesus will stand their friend no longer now also the devil hath power again and now they must have their part in the resurrection of damnation when alas the Covenant is not for all this never the more broken and so the Grace of God no more straightned then it was before Therefore I say when thou findest that thou art weak here and sailing there backward to this good and thy heart forward to that evil then be sure thou keep a steadfast eye on the Mediator of this New Covenant and be perswaded that it is not only made with him and his part also fulfilled but that he doth look upon his fulfilling of it so as not to lay thy sins to thy charge though he may as a father chastise thee for the same If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments If they break my statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with stripes Nevertheless mark nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth And what was that why that his seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the days of Heaven Psal. 89. 30 31 32 33 34 35 36. Seventhly Another priviledge that the Saints have by vertue of the New Covenant is that they have part of the possâ—ssion or hold of heaven and glory already and that two manner of ways First the divine nature is conveyed from heaven into them And Secondly the humane nature i. e. the nature of man is received up and entertained in and hath got possession of Heaven 1. We have the first-fruits of the spirit saith the man of God we have the earnest of the spirit which is instead of the whole Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory Rom. 8. 8 9 10 11. Eph. 1. 13 14. 2. The nature of man OUR nature is got into glory as the first fruits of man-kind as a fore-runner to take possession till we all come thither 1 Cor. 15. 20. For the man born at Bethlem is ascended which is part of the lump of mankind into glory as a publick person as the first-fruits representing the whole of the Children of God So that in some sense it may be said that the Saints have already taken possession of the Kingdom of Heaven by their Jesus their publick person he being in their room entred to prepare a place for them John 14. 1 2 3 4 5. I beseech you consider When Jesus Christ came down from glory it was that he might bring us to glory and that he might be sure not to fail he clothed himself with our nature as if one should take a piece out of the whole lump instead of the whole Heb. 2. 14 15. until the other comes and investeth in that glory which he was in before he came down from Heaven and thus is that saying to be understood speaking of Christ and Saints which saith And he hath raised us up together and made us fit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 6. Eighthly Again not only thus but all the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 5. together with the rest of his glorious attributes are on our side in that they dwell in our nature which is thâ— man Jesus and doth ingage for us poor simple empty nothing creatures as to our eternal happiness For in him that is in the man Christ who is our nature our head our root our flesh our bone dwelleth all the fulness of the God head bodily Col. 2. 9 10. Mark how they are joyned together In whom dwelleth the fulness of the God-head And ye are compleat in him God dwelleth compleatly in him and you also are compleatly implanted in him which is the head of all principality and power and all this by the consent of the Father For it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Now mark the God-head doth not dwell in Christ Jesus for himself only but that it may be in a way of righteousness conveyed to us for our comfort and help in all our wants All power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth saith he Mat. 28. 18. And then followeth And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Psal. 68. 18. 20. He hath received gifts for men even for the rebellious John 1. 16. Of
his fulness have we all received and grace for grace Col. 1. 9. And this the Saints cannot be deprived of because the Covenant made with Christ in every tittle of it was so compleatly fulfilled as to righteousness both active and passive that justice cannot object any thing holiness now can find fault with nothing nay all the power of God cannot shake any thing that hath been done for us by the Mediator of the New Covenant so that now there is no Covenant of Works to a Believer none of the commands accusations condemnations or the least tittle of the Old Covenant to be charged on any of those that are the Children of the Second Covenant no sin to be charged because there is no Law to be pleaded but all is made up by our middle man Christ Jesus O blessed Covenant O blessed Priviledge Be wise therefore O ye poor drooping souls that are the sons of this second Covenant And stand fast in the liberty wherewith CHRIST hath made you free and be not again intangled not terrified in your consciences with the yoke of bonbondage neither the commands accusations or condemnations of the Law of the Old Covenant Gal. 5. 1 2. Object If it be so then one need not care what they do they may sin and sin again seeing Christ hath made satisfaction Answ. If I was to point out one that was under the power of the Devil and going poste haste to hell for my life I would look no further for such a man then to him that would make such a use as this of the grace of God What because Christ is a Saviour thou wilt be a sinner because his grace abounds therefore thou wilt abound in in O wicked wretch rake hell all over and surely I think thy fellow will scarce be found And let me tell thee this before I leave thee as Gods Covenant with Christ for his Children which are of faith stands sure immutable unrevokable and unchangeable so also hath God taken such a course with thee that unless thou can'st make God forswear himself it is impossible that thou shouldest go to heaven dying in that condition They tempted me proved me and turned the grace of God into laciviousness Compare Heb. 3. 9. 10 11. ver with the 1 Cor. 10. Chap. from the 5. verse to the 10. So I sware mark that So I sware and that in my wrath too that they should never enter into my rest No saith God if Christ will not serve their turns but they must have their sins too take them devil if Heaven will not satisfie them take them hell devour them hell scald them fry them burn them hell God hath more places than one to put sinners into if they do not like of Heaven he will fit them with Hell if they do not like Christ they shall be forced to have the Devil Therefore we must and will tell of the truth of the nature of the Covenant of the grace of God to his poor Saints for their encouragement and for their comfort who would be glad to leap at Christ upon any terms yet therewith we can tell how through grace to tell the hogs and sons of this world what a hogsty there is prepared for them even such a one that God hath prepared to put the Devil and his Angels into is fitly prepared for them Mat. 25. 41. Object But if Christ hath given God a full and compleat satisfaction then though I do go on in sin I need not fear seeing God hath already been satisfied it will be injustice in God to punish for those sins for which he is already satisfied for by Christ. Answ. Rebell rebell there are some in Christ and some out of him they that are in him have their sins forgiven and they themselves made new creatures and have the spirit of the Son which is a holy loving self-denying spirit And they that are thus in Jesus Christ are so far off from delighting in sin that sin is the greatest thing that troubleth them and O how willingly would they be rid of the very thoughts of it Psal. 119. 113. It is the grief of their souls when they are in a right frame of spirit that they can live no more to the honour and glory of God then they do and in all their prayers to God the breathings of their souls is as much for sanctifying grace as pardoning grace that they might live a holy life they would as willingly live holy here as they would be happy in the world to come Phil. 3. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. they would as willingly be cleansed from the filth of sin as to have the guilt of it taken away they would as willingly glorifie God here as they would be glorified by him hereafter 2. But there are some that are out of Christ being under the Law and as for all those let them be civil or profane they are such as God accounts wicked and I say as for those if all the Angels in Heaven can drag them before the Judgment-seat of Christ they shall be brought before it to answer for all their ungodly deeds Jude 15. and being condemned for them if all the fire in Hell will burn them they shall be burned there if they die in that condition And therefore if you love your souls do not give way to such a wicked spirit Let no man deceive yoâ— with such vain words as to think because Christ hath made satisfaction to God for sin therefore you may live in your sins O no God forbid that any should think so for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Ephes. 5 6. Thus have I Reader given thee a brief discourse touching the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace also of the nature of the one together with the nature of the other I have also in this Discourse endeavoured to shew you the condition of them that are under the Law how sad it is both from the nature of the Covenant they are under and also by the carriage of God unto them by that Covenant And now because I would bring all into as little a compass as I can I shall begin with the Use and Application of the whole in as brief a way as I can desiring the Lord to bless it to thee And first of all let us here begin to examine a little touching the Covenant you stand before God in whether it be the Covenant of Works or the Covenant of Grace and for the right doing of this I shall lay down this proposition Namely that all men naturally come into the world under the first of these which is called the Old Covenant or the Covenant of Works which is the Law And were all by nature the children of wrath even as others which they could not be had they not been under the Law for there are none that are under the other Covenant that
come to Christ. The Use for the second Doctrine Now a few words to the second Doctrine and so I shall draw towards a conclusion The Doctrine doth contain in it very much comfort to thy Soul who art a new Covenant man or one of those who art under the New Covenant There is first pardon of sin And secondly the manifestation of the same And thirdly a power to cause thee to persevere through Faith to the very end of thy life There is first pardon of sin which is not in the Old Covenant for in that there is nothing but commands and if not obeyed condemned O but there is pardon of sin even of all thy sins against the first and second Covenant under which thou art and that freely upon the account of Jesus Christ the righteous he having in thy name nature and in the room of thy person fulfilled all the whole Law in himself for thee and freely giveth it unto thee O though the Law be a ministration of death and condemnation yet the Gospel under which thou art is the ministration of life and salvation 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. Though they that live and dye under the first Covenant God regardeth them not Heb. 8. 9. Yet they that are under the second are as the apple of his Eye Deut. 32. 10. Psal. 17. 8. Zech. 2. 8. Though they that are under the first the Law are called to blackness and darkness and tempest the sound of a Trumpet and a burning Mountain which sight was so terrible that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 18 19 20 21. Yet you are come unto Mount Sion to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first born whose names are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Jesus to blessed Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh betten things than that of Abel Heb. 12. 22 23 24. even forgiveness of sins Eph. 1. 7. 2. The Covenant that thou art under doth allow of Repentance in case thou chance to slip or fall by sudden Temptation Rev. 2. 5. but the Law allows of none Gal. 3. 10. The Covenant that thou art under allows thee strength also but the Law is only a sound of words commanding Words but no Power is given by them to fulfill the things commanded Heb. 12. 19. Thou that art under this second art made a Son but they that are under that first are Slaves and Vagabonds Gen. 4. 12. Thou that art under this hast a Mediator that is to stand between Justice and thee 1 Tim. 2. 5. But they under the other their Mediator is turned an Accuser and speaketh most bitter things against their Souls John 5. 45. Again the way that thou hast into Paradise is a new and living way mark a living way Heb. 10. 20. But they that are under the Old Covenant their way into Paradise is a killing and destroying way Gen. 3. 24. Again thou hast the Righteousness of God to appear before God withall Phil. 3. 9. But they under the Old Covenant have nothing but the Righteousness of the Law which Paul counts dirt and dung Phil. 3. 7 8. Thou hast that which will make thee perfect but the other will not do so Heb. 7. 19. The Law makes nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope which is the Son of God did by which we draw nigh to God 3. The New Covenant promiseth thee a new Heart as I said before Ezek. 36. 26. but the Old Covenant promiseth none and a new Spirit but the Old Covenant promiseth none The New Covenant conveyeth Faith Gal. 3. but the Old one conveyeth none Through the New Covenant the Love of God is conveyed into the Heart Rom. 5. but through the Old Covenant there is conveyed none of it savingly through Jesus Christ. The New Covenant doth not only give a Promise of Life but also with that the assurance of Life but the old one giveth none The old Covenant wrought Wrath in us and to us Rom. 4. 15. but the new one worketh Love Gal. 5. 6. Thus much for the first use Secondly As all these and many more Priviledges do come to thee through or by the New Covenant and that thou mightest not doubt of the Certainty of these glorious Priviledges God hath so ordered it that they do all come to thee by way of Purchase being obtained for thee ready to thy hand by that one Man Jesus who is the Mediator or the Person that hath principally to do both with God and thy Soul in the things pertaining to this Covenant so that now thou mayest look on all the glorious things that are spoken of in the New Covenant and say all these must be mine I must have a share in them Christ hath purchased them for me and given them to me Now I need not to say O! but how shall I come by them God is holy I am a sinner God is just and I have offended no but thou mayest say though I am vile and deserve nothing yet Christ is holy and he deserveth all things though I have so provoked God by breaking his Law that he could not in justice look upon me yet Christ hath so gloriously paid the debt that now God can say Welcome Soul I will give thee grace I will give thee glory thou shalt lie in my bosom and go no more out my Son haâ—â—â—leased me he hath satisfied the loud cries oâ—â—he Law and Justice that called for speedy vengeance on thee He hath fulfilled the whole Law he hath brought in everlasting righteousness he hath overcome the Devil he hath washed away thy sins with his most precious blood he hath destroyed the power of death and triumphs over all the Enemies This he did in his own person as a common Jesus for all persons in their stead even for so many as shall come in to him for his victory I give to them his righteousness I give to them his merits I bestow on them and look upon them holy harmless undefiled and for ever comely in my Eye through the victory of the Captain of their Salvation And that thou mayest indeed and in truth not only hear and read this glorious Doctrine but be found one that hath the life of it in thy heart thou must be much in studying of the two Covenants the nature of the one and the nature of the other and the conditions of them that are under them both Also thou must be well grounded in the manner of the Victory and Merits of Christ how they are made thine And here thou must in the first place believe that the Babe that was Born of Mary lay in a Manger at Bethlehem in the time of Caesar Augustus that he that Babe that Child was the very Christ. Secondly
thou must believe that in the days of Tibereas Caesar when Herod was Tetrarch of Galilee and Pontius Pilate Governour of Judea that in those days he was crucified or hanged on a tree between two Thieves which by computation or according to the best account is above sixteen hundred years since Thirdly thou must also believe that when he did hang upon that Cross of Wood on the Mount Calvary that then he did dye there for the sins of those that did dye before he was Crucified also for their sins that were alive at the time of his Crucifying and also that he did by that one death give satisfaction to God for all those that should be born and believe in him after his death even unto the Worlds end I say this thou must believe upon pain of eternal Damnation that by that one death that when he did dye he did put an end to the curse of the Law and Sin and at that time by his death on the Cross and by his Resurrection out of Joseph's Sepulchre he did bring in a sufficient Righteousness to clothe thee withall compleatly For by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified not that he should often offer himself for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the World but now ONCE in the end of the World hath he appeared to put or do away Sin by the sacrifice of himself Namely when he hanged on the Cross. For it is by the offering up of the Body of this blessed Jesus Christ ONCE for all Indeed other Priests may offer oftentimes Sacrifices and Offerings which can never take away Sins but this Man this Jesus this annointed and appointed sacrifice when he had offered ONE sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God But because thou in thy pursuit after the faith of the Gospel wilt be sure to meet with devils hereticks particular corruptions as unbelief ignorance the spirit works animated on by suggestions false conclusions with damnable doctrines I shall therefore briefly besides what hath been already said speak a word or two more before I leave thee of further advice especially concerning these two things First How thou art to conceive of the Saviour Secondly How thou art to make application of him First For the Saviour thou must look upon him to be very God and very Man not man only nor God only but God and Man in one Person both natures joyned together for the putting of him in a capacity to be a suitable Saviour suitable I say to answer both sides and parties with whom he hath to do in the office of his Mediatorship and being as a Saviour Secondly Thou must not only do this but thou must also consider and believe that even what was done by Jesus Christ it was not done by one nature without the other but thou must consider that both natures both the God-head and the man-hood did gloriously concur and joyn together in the undertaking of the Salvation of our Bodies and Souls not that the God-head undertook any thing without the Man-hood neither did the Man-hood do any thing without the Vertue and Union of the God head and thou must of Necessity do this otherwise thou canst not find any sound ground and footing for thy Soul to rest upon For if thou look upon any of these asunder that is to say the God-head without the Man-hood or the Man-hood without the God-head thou wilt conclude that what was done by the God-head was not done for man being done without the Man-hood or else that that which was done with the Man-hood could not answer Divine Justice in not doing what it did by the Vertue and in Union with the God-head for it was the God-head that gave Vertue and Value to the suffering of the Man-hood and the Man-hood being joyned therewith that giveth us an interest into the heavenly glory and comforts of the God-head What ground can a man have to believe that Christ is his Saviour if he do not believe that he suffered for Sin in his Nature And what ground also can a man have to think that God the Father is satisfied being infinite if he believe not also that he who gave the satisfaction was equal to him who was offended Therefore Beloved when you read of the offering of the Body of the Son of Man for our Sins then Consider that he did it in Union with and by the help of the eternal God-head How much more shalâ— the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works c. And when thou readest of the glorious Works and â—plendour of the God-head in Christ theâ—â— consider that all that was done by the God-head it was done as it had union and communion with the Man-hood And then thou shalt see that the Devil is overcome by God-man Sin Death Hell the Grave and all overcome by Jesus God-man and then thou shalt find them overcome indeed They must needâ—â—e overcome when God doth overcome them and we have good ground to hope the Victory is ours when in our Nature they are overcome 2. The second thing is how to apply or to make application of this Christ to the Soul And for this there is to be considered the following particulars First that when Jesus Christ did thus appear being born of Mary he was looked upon by the Father as if the sin of the whole World was upon him â—ay further God did look upon him and account him the Sin of Man He hath made him to be Sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. That â—â—is God made his Son Jesus Christ our Sin or reckoned him to be not only a Sinner but the very bulk of Sin of the whole World and condemned him so severely as if he had been nothing but Sin For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the flesh That is for our Sins condemned his Son Jesus Christ as if he had indeed and in truth been our very Sin and yet altogether without Sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 8. 3. Therefore as to the taking away of thy Curse thou must reckon him to be made Sin for thee And as to his being thy Justification thou must reckon him to be thy Righteousness for saith the Scripture He that is God hath made HIM to be SIN for us though he knew no Sin that WE might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in HIM Secondly Consider for whose sakeâ— all this glorious design of the Father and the Son was brought to pass and that you shall find to be for Man for sinful Man 2 Cor. 8. 9. Thirdly The terms on which it is made ours and that you will find to be a free gift meerly arising from the tender-heartedness of God You are justified freely by his
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
of God Angels and Devils But I say if thou dost believe these things indeed thou dost believe that then so long ago even before thou wast born he did bear thy Sins in his own Body which then was Hanged on the Tree and never before nor since that thy old Man was then Crucified with him namely in the same Body then Crucified see 1 Pet. 2. 24. and Rom. 6. 6. This is non-sense to them that believe not but if thou do indeed believe thou seest it so plain and yet such a Mystery that it makes thee wonder But in the third Place this glorious Doctrine of the New Covenant and the Mediator thereof will serve for the comforting and the maintaining of the comfort of the Children of the New Covenant this way also that is that he did not only dye and rise again but that he did ascend in his own Person into Heaven to take possession thereof for me to prepare a Place there for me standeth there in the second part of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring me safe in my coming thither and to present me in a glorious manner without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that he is there exercising of his Priestly Office for me pleading the 〈◊〉 of his own Righteousness for me and the vertue of his Blood for me That he is there ready to answer the Accusations of the Law Devil and Sin for me Here thou mayest through Faith look the very Devil in the Face and Rejoyce saying O Satan I have a precious Jesus a Soul comforting Jesus a Sin-pardoning Jesus Here thou mayest hear the biggest thunder-crack that the Law can give and yet not be daunted Here thou mayest say O Law thou may'st roar against Sin but thou can'st not reach me thou may'st Curse and Condemn but not my Soul for I have a righteous Jesus a holy Jesus a Soul-saving Jesus and he hath delivered me from thy Threats from thy Curses from thy Condemnatious I am out of thy reach and out of thy bounds I am brought into another Covenant under better promises promises of Life and Salvation free promises to comfort me without my Merit even through the Blood of Jesus the satisfaction given to God for me by him therefore though thou lay'st my Sins to my charge and sayest thou wilt prove me Guilty yet so long as Christ is above ground and hath brought in everlasting righteousness and given that to me I shall not fear thy threats thy charges thy Soul-searing Denunciations my Christ is all hath done all and will deliver me from all that thou and whatsoever else can bring an Accusation against me Thus also thou may'st say when Death assaulteth thee O Death where is thy sting Thou may'st bite indeed but thou canst not devour I have comfort by and through the one Man Jesus Jesus Christ he hath taken thee Captive and taken away thy strength he hath pierced thy Heart and let out all thy Soul destroying Poyson therefore though I see thee I am not afraid of thee though I feel thee I am not daunted thou hast lost thy sting in the side of the Lord Jesus through him I overcome thee and set foot upon thee Also O Satan though I hear thee grumble and make a hellish Noise and tho thou threaten me very highly yet my Soul shall Triumph over thee so long as Christ is alive and can be heard in Heaven so long as he hath broken thy Head and won the field of thee so long as thou art in Prison and canst not have thy desire I therefore when I hear thy Voice do pitch my Thoughts on Christ my Saviour and do hearken what he will say for he will speak comfort he saith he hath got the Victory and doth give to me the Crown and causeth me to Triumph through his most glorious Conquest Nay my Brethren the Saints under the Levitical Law who had not the New Covenant sealed or confirmed any further than by promise that it should be I say they when they thought of the glorious Privileges that God had promised should come though at that time they were not come but seen afar off how confidently were they perswaded of them and embraced them and were so fully satisfied as touching the certainty of them that they did not stick at the parting with all for the enjoying of them Heb. 11. How many times doth David in the Psalms admire triumph and perswade others to do so also through the Faith that he had in the thing that was to be done Also Job in what Faith doth he say he should see his Redeemer though he had not then shed one drop of Blood for him yet because he had promised so to do and this was signified by the blood of Bulls and Goats Also Samuel Isaiah Jeremiah Zechariah c. how gloriously in confidence did they speak of Christ and his Death Blood Conquest and everlasting Priest-hood even before he did manifest himself in the flesh which he took of the Virgin We that have lived since Christ have more ground to hope than they under the Old Covenant had though they had the Word of the Just God for the ground of their Faith Mark They had only the Promise that he should and would come but we have the assured fulfilling of those Promises because he is come they were told that he should spill his Blood but we do see he hath spilt his Blood They ventured all upon his standing Surety for them but we see he hath fulfilled and that faithfully too the Office of his Suretiship in that according to the engagement he hath redeemed us poor Sinners They ventured on the New Covenant though not actually Sealed only because they judged him faithfull that had promised Heb. 11. 11. but we have the Covenant Sealed all things are compleatly done even as sure as the Heart-Blood of a crucified Jesus can make it There is as great a difference between their Dispensation and ours for comfort even as much as there is between the making of a Bond with a promise to Seal it and the sealing of the same It was made indeed in their time but it was not sealed untill the time the Blood was shed on the Mount Calvary and that we might have our Faith mount up with Wings like an Eagle he sheweth us what encouragement and ground of Faith we have to conclude we shall be everlastingly delivered saying Heb. 9. 16 17 18. For where a Testament or Covenant is there must of necessity be the Death of the Testatour for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testatour liveth whereupon neither the first Testament was dedicated without Blood As Christ's Blood was the Confirmation of the New Covenant yet it was not sealed in Abraham Isaac or Jacob's days to confirm the Covenant that God did tell them of and yet they believed therefore we ought to give the more earâ—est heed to believe the
that is by a final knowing wilful malicious trampling under foot the Blood of Christ which was shed on Mount Calvary when Jesus was there crucified And though it be called the Sin against the Spirit yet as I said before every Sin against the Spirit is not that for if it was then every Sin against the Light and Convictions of the Spirit would be unpardonable but that is an evident untruth for these Reasons First because there be those who have sinned against the movings of the Spirit and that knowingly too and yet did not commit that As Jonah who when God had expresly by his Spirit bid him go to Nineveh he runs thereupon quite another way Secondly because the very People that have sinned against the movings of the Spirit are yet if they do return received to Mercy Witness also Jonah who though he had sinned against the movings of the Spirit of the Lord in doing contrary thereunto Yet when he called as he saith to the Lord out of the Belly of Hell the Lord heard him and gave him deliverance and set him again about his work Read the whole story of that Prophet 2 Answ. But secondly I shall shew you that it must needs be wilfully knowingly and a malicious rejecting of the man Christ Jesus as the Saviour That is counting his Blood his Righteousness his Intercession in his own Person for he that rejects one rejects all to be of no value as to salvation I say this I shall shew you is the unpardonable Sin And then afterwards in brief shew you why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost First That man that doth reject as aforesaid the Blood Death Righteousness Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of the man Christ doth reject that Sacrifice that Blood that Righteousness that Victory that Rest that God alone hath appointed for Salvation John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb or sacrifice of God We have Redemption through his Blood Ephes. 1. 7. That I may be found in him to wit in Christs Righteousness with Christs own personal obedience to his Fathers Will Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. By his Resurrection comes Justification Rom. 4. 25. His Intercession now in his own Person in the Heavens now absent from his Saints is the cause of the Saints Perseverance 2 Cor. 6 7 8. also Rom. 8. 33 34 35 36 c. Secondly They that reject this Sacrifice and the Merits of this Christ which he by himself hath brought in for Sinners hath rejected him through whom alone all the Promises of the New Testament together with all the Mercy discovered thereby doth come unto poor Creatures For all the promises in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God 2 Cor. 1. 20. And all spiritual Blessings are made over to us through him Ephes. 1. 3 4. That is through and in this Man which is Christ we have all our spiritual Heavenly and eternal Mercies Thirdly He that doth knowingly wilfully and despitefully reject this man for Salvation doth sin the unpardonable Sin because there is never another sacrifice to be offered Heb. 10. 26. There is no more offering for Sin there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin Heb. 10. 18. namely than the offering of the body of Jesus Christ a Sacrifice once for all Heb. 10. ver 10. and 14. compared with ver 18. and 26. No but they that shall after light and clear conviction reject the first offering of his Body for Salvation do Crucifie him the second time which irrecoverably merits their own Damnation For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come If they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance seeing they Gruâ—â—fiâ— to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open Shame If they fall away to renew them again unto Repentance And why so seeing saith the Apostle they do crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and do put him to open shame O then how miserably hath the Devil deceived some In that he hath got them to reject the merits of the first offering of the Body of Christ which was for Salvation and got them to trust in a fresh Crucifying of Christ which unavoidably brings their speedy Damnation Fourthly they that do reject this Man as aforesaid do sin the unpardonable Sin because in rejecting him they do make way for the Justice of God to break out upon them and to handle them as it shall find them which will be in the first place Sinners against the first Covenant which is the Soul-damning Covenant and also despising of even the Life and Glory and Consolations Pardon Grace and Love that is discovered in the second Covenant forasmuch as they reject the Mediator and Priest of the same which is the Man Jesus And the Man that doth so I would fain see how his Sins should be pardoned and his Soul saved seeing the means which is the Son of Man the Son of Mary and his Merits is rejected For saith he If you believe not that I am he you shall mark you shall do what you can you shall appear where you can you shall follow Moses Law or any holiness whatsoever you shall dye in your Sins Joh. 8. 24. So that I say the Sin that is called the unpardonable Sin is a knowing wilful and despiteful rejecting of the sacrificing of the Son of Man the first time for Sin And now to shew you why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost as in these Scriptures Mat. 12. Heb. 10. Mark 3. First Because they Sin against the manifest light of the Spirit as I said before it is a Sin against the light of the Spirit That is they have been formerly enlightened into the nature of the Gospel and the Merits of the Man Christ and his Blood Righteousness Intercession c. And also professed and confessed the same with some life and comfort in and through the profession of him Yet now against all that Light maliciously and with despite to all their former Profession turn their backs and trample upon the same Secondly It is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost because such a Person doth as I may say lay violent hands on it one that sets himself in opposition to and is resolved to resist all the motions that do come in from the Spirit to persuade the contrary For I do verily believe that men in this very rejecting of the Son of God after some knowledge of him especially at their first resisting and refusing of him they have certain motions of the Spirit of God to disswade them from so great a Soul-damning Act. But they being filled with an over-powering measure of the Spirit of the Devil do do despite unto these Convictions and Motions by studying and contriving how they may answer them and get from under
little Excellency in Christ and doth all this stir up in thy Heart some breathings after him If so then fear not the Day of Grace is not past with thy poor Soul for if the day of Grace should be past with such a Soul as this then that Scripture must be broken where Christ saith He that cometh unto me I will in no wise for no thing by no means upon no terms whatsoever cast out John 6. 37. Object But surely if the day of Grace was not past with me I should not be so long without an answer of Gods love to my Soul that therefore doth make me mistrust my state the more is that I wait and wait and yet am not delivered Answ. Hast thou waited on the Lord so long as the Lord hath waited on thee it may be the Lord hath waited on thee this twenty or thirty yea forty years or more and thou hast not waited on him seven years cast this into thy Mind therefore when Satan tells thee that God doth not love thee because thou hast waited so long without an assurance for it is his temptation for God did wait longer upon thee and was fain to send to thee by his Ambassadors time after time And therefore say thou I will wait to see what the Lord will say unto me and the rather because he will speak Peace for he is the Lord thereof But secondly Know that it is not thy being under trouble a long time that will be an Argument sufficient to prove that thou art past hopes Nay contrariwise for Jesus Christ did take our Nature upon him and also did undertake deliverance for those and bring it in for them who were all their Life Time subject to Bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. Object But alas I am not able to wait all my Strength is gone I have waited so long I can wait no longer Answ. It may be thou hast concluded on this long ago thinking thou shouldest not be able to hold out any longer no not a year a month or a week nay it may be not so long It may be in the morning thou hast thought thou shouldest not hold out till night and at night till morning again yet the Lord hath supported thee and kept thee in waiting upon him many Weeks and Years therefore that is but the Temptation of the Devil to make thee think so that he might drive thee to despair of Gods Mercy and so to leave off following the ways of God and to close in with thy Sins again O therefore do not give way unto it but believe that thou shalt see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart wait I say on the Lord Psal. 27. 23 24. And that thou mayest so do consider these things First If thou after thou hast waited thus long shouldest now give over and wait no longer thou wouldest lose all thy time and pains that thou hast taken in the way of God hitherto and wilt be like to a man that because he sought long for Gold and did not find it therefore turned back from seeking after it though he was hard by it and had almost found it and all because he was loth to look and seek a little further Secondly Thou wilt not only lose thy time but also lose thy own Soul for Salvation is no where else but in Jesus Christ Acts 4. 12. Thirdly Thou wilt sin the highest sin that ever thou didst sin before in drawing finally back insomuch that God may say my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. But secondly consider thou sayest all my strength is gone and therefore how should I wait why at that time when thou feelest and findest thy strength quite gone even that is the time when the Lord will renew and give thee fresh strength The youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with Wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint Isa. 40. 30 31. Object But though I do wait yet if I be not elected to eternal Life what good will all my waiting do me For it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy Therefore I say if I should not be elected all is in vain 1 Answ. Why in the first place to be sure thy backsliding from God will not prove thy election neither thy growing weary of waiting upon God 2 Answ. But secondly Thou art it may be troubled to know whether thou art elected And sayest thou if I did but know that that would encourage me in my waiting on God Answ. I believe thee but mark thou shalt not know thy election in the first place but in the second That is to say thou must first get acquaintance with God in Christ which doth come by thy giving credit to his Promises and Records which he hath given of Jesus Christ his Blood and Righttousness together with the rest of his Merits That is before thou canst know whether thou art elected thou must believe in Jesus Christ so really that thy faith laying hold of and drinking and eating the Flesh and Blood of Christ even so that there shall be life begotten in thy Soul by the same Life from the condemnings of the Law Life from the guilt of Sin Life over the filth of the same Life also to walk with God in his Son and wayes the Life of Love to God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son Saints and Wayes and that because they are Holy Harmless and such that are altogether contrary to Iniquity For these things must be in thy Soul as a forerunner of thy being made acquainted with the other God hath these two ways to shew to his Children their election First by Testimony of the Spirit That is the Soul being under trouble of Conscience and grieved for Sin the Spirit doth seal up the Soul by its comfortable Testimony perswading of the Soul that God for Christs sake hath forgiven all those Sins that lye so heavy on the Conscieâ—ce and that do so much perplex the Soul by shewing it that that Law which doth utter such horrible curses against it is by Christs Blood satisfied and fulfilled Eph. 1. 13 14. Secondly By consequence that is the Soul finding that God hath been good unto it in that he hath shewed it its lost state and miserable condition and also that he hath given it some comfortable hope that he will save it from the same I say the Soul from a right sight thereof doth or may draw this conclusion that if God had not been minded to have saved it he would not have done for it such things as these But for the more surer dealing with thy Soul it is not good to take any of these apart that is it is