the convincing nature of them and therefore it is called a doing despite unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 29. And so Thirdly In that they do reject the beseechings of the Spirit and all its gentle intreatings of the Soul to tarry still in the same Doctrine Fourthly In that they do reject the very Testimony of the Prophets and Apostles with Christ himself I say their Testimony through the Spirit of the Power Vertue Sufficiency and Prevalency of the Blood Sacrifice Death Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of the man Christ Jesus of which the Scriptures are full both in the Old and New Testament as the Apostle saith For all the Prophets from Samuel with them that follow after have shewed of these days That is in which Christ should be a Sacrifice for Sin Acts 3. 24. compared with Ver. 6. 13 14 15 18 26. Again saith he He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit 1 Thes. 4. 8. That is he rejecteth or despiseth the very Testimony of the Spirit Fifthly It is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost because he that doth reject and disown the Doctrine of Salvation by the man Christ Jesus through believing in him doth despise resist and reject the Wisdom of the Spirit for the Wisdom of Gods Spirit did never more appear than in its finding out a way for Sinners to be reconciled to God by the death of this man and therefore Christ as he is a Sacrifice is called the Wisdom of God And again when it doth reveal the Lord Jesus it is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him Ephes. 1. 17. Object But some may say the slighting or rejecting of the Son of Man Jesus of Nazareth the Son of Mary cannot be the Sin that is unpardonable as is clear from that Scripture in the twelfth of Matthew where he himself saith He that shall speak a Word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him but he that shall sin against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this World nor in the World to come Ver. 32. Now by this it is clear that the Sin that is unpardonable is one thing and the sin against the Son of Man another that Sin that is against the Son of Man is pardonable but if that was the Sin against the Holy Ghost it would not be pardonable therefore the Sin against the Son of Man is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost the unpardonable Sin Answ. First I do know full well that there are several Persons that have been pardoned yet have sinned against the Son of Man and that have for a time rejected him as Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. Also the Jews Acts 2. 36 37. But there was an ignorant rejecting of him without the Enlightning and Taste and Feeling of the Power of the things of God made mention of in the sixth of the Hebrews the 3 4 5 6 Verses Secondly There is and hath been a higher manner of sinning against the Son of Man which also hath been and is still pardonable as in the case of Peter who in a violent temptation in a mighty hurry upon a sudden denied him and that after the Revelation of the Spirit of God from Heaven to him that he Jesus was the Son of God Matth. 16. 16 17 18. This also is pardonable if there be a coming up again to repentance O rich Grace O wonderful Grace that God should be so full of Love to his poor Creatures that though they do sin against the Son of God either through ignorance or some sudden violent charge breaking loose from Hell upon them but yet take it for certain that if a Man do slight and reject the Son of God and the Spirit in that manner as I have before hinted that is for a Man after some great measure of the enlightning by the Spirit of God and some Profession of Jesus Christ to be the Saviour and his 〈◊〉 that was shed on the Mount without the Gates of Jerusalem to be the Attonement I say he that shall after this knowingly wilfully and out of malice and despite reject speak against and trample that Doctrine under foot resolving for ever so to do And if he there continue I will pawn my Soul upon it he hath sinned the unpardonable Sin and shall never be forgiven neither in this World nor in the World to come or else those Scriptures that testifie the Truth of this must be scrabled out and must be looked upon for meer Fables which are these following For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which is the Son of Man Matth. 16. 13. and are again intangled therein and overcome which must be by denying this Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. the latter end is worse with them than the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift And have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come If they shall fall away not only fall but fall away that is finally Heb. 10. 19. it is impossible to renew them again unto Repentance and the Reason is rendred seeing they have crucified to themselves the Son of God which is the Son of Man afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6. 4 5 6. Now if you would further know what it is to Crucifie the Son of God afresh it is this For to undervalue and trample under foot the Merits and Vertue of his Blood for Remission of Sins as is clearly manifested in the tenth of the Hebrews 26 27 28 Verses where it 's said For if we Sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and the fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses Law died without Mercy of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall be thought worthy that have trodden under foot the Son of God there is the second Crucifying of Christ which the Quakers think to be saved by and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing And then followeth And hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace Verse the twenty ninth All that Paul had to keep him from this Sin it was his ignorance in persecuting the Man and Merits of Jesus Christ Acts 9. But I obtained Mercy saith he because I did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 14. And Peter though he did deny him knowingly yet he did it unwillingly and in a sudden and fearful Temptation and so by the Intercession of Jesus escaped that Danger So I say they that commit this Sin they do it after Light knowingly wilfully and despitefully and in the open view of the whole World reject the Son of
with my foolish Carriage Shall I slight his Counsel by following of my own Will Thus therefore the Doctrine of the New Covenant doth call for Holiness engage to Holiness and maketh the Children of that Covenant to take Pleasure therein Let no man therefore conclude on this that the Doctrine of the Gospel is a licentious Doctrine but if they do it is because they are Fools and such as have not tasted of the Vertue of the Blood of Jesus Christ neither did they ever feel the Nature and Sway that the Love of Christ hath in the Hearts of his And thus also you may see that the Doctrine of the Gospel is of great Advantage to the People of God that are already come in or to them that shall at the consideration hereof be willing to come in to partake of the glorious Benefits of this glorious Covenant But saith the poor Soul Object Alas I doubt this is too good for me Inquir Why so I pray you Object Alas because I am a Sinner Reply Why all this is bestowed upon none but Sinners as it is written While we were ungodly Christ died for us Rom. 5. 6. 8. He came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 14 15. Object O but I am one of the chief of Sinners Reply Why this is for the chief of Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 14 15. Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief saith Paul Object O but my Sins are so big that I cannot conceive how I should have Mercy Reply Why Soul Didst thou ever kill any Body Didst thou ever burn any of thy Children in the Fire to Idols Hast thou been a Witch Didst thou ever use Enchantments and Conjuration Didst thou ever curse and swear and deny Christ And yet if thou hast there is yet hopes of Pardon yea such Sinners as these have been pardoned as appears by these and the like Scriptures 2 Chron. 33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Verses compared with the 12 13. Again Acts 19. 19 20. Acts 8. 22. compared with Verse 9. Matth. 26. 74 75. Ob. But though I have not sinned such kind of Sins yet it may be I have sinned as bad Answ. That cannot likely be yet though thou hast still there is ground of Mercy for thee for as much as thou art under the Promise John 6. 37. Object Alas man I am afraid that I have sinned the unpardonable Sin and therefore there is no hope for me Answ. Dost thou know what the unpardonable Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost is And when it is committed Reply It is a Sin against Light Answ. That is true yet every Sin against Light is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost Reply Say you so Answ. Yea and I prove it thus If every Sin against Light had been the Sin that is unpardonable then had David and Peter and others sinned that Sin but though they did sin against Light yet they did not sin that sin therefore every Sin against Light is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost the unpardonable Sin Object But the Scripture saith If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Answ. Do you know what that wilful Sin is Reply Why What is it Is it not for a man to sin willingly after enlightning 1 Answ. Yes yet doubtless every willing Sin is not that for then David had sinned it when he lay with Bathsheba and Jonah when he fled from the Presence of the Lord and Solomon also when he had so many Concubines 2 Answ. But that Sin is a Sin that is of another nature which is this For a man after he hath made some Profession of Salvation to come alone by the Blood of Jesus together with some Light and Power of the same upon his Spirit I say for him after this knowingly wilfully and despitefully to trample upon the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross and to count it an unholy thing or no better then the Blood of another man and rather to venture his Soul any other way then to be saved by this precious Blood And this must be done I say after some light Heb. 6. 4 5. Despitefully Heb. 10. 29. Knowingly 2 Pet. 2. 21. and wilfully Heb. 10. 26. compared with ver 29. and that not in a hurry and sudden sit as Peter's was but with some time before-hand to pause upon it first with Judas and also with a continued Resolution never to turn or be converted again For it is impossible to renew such again to Repentance they are so resolved and so desperate Heb. 6. Quest. And how sayest thou now Didst thou ever after thou hadst received some blessed Light from Christ wilfully despitefully and knowingly stamp or trample the Blood of the man Christ Jesus under thy Feet 〈◊〉 and art thou for ever resolved so to do Answ. O no I would not do that wilfully despitefully and knowingly not for all the World Inqui. But yet I must tell you now you put me in mind of it surely sometimes I have most horrible blasphemous Thoughts in me against God Christ and the Spirit May not thâ—se be that Sin too Answ. Dost thou delight in them are they such things as thou takest Pleasure in Reply O no neither would I do it for a thousand Worlds O methinks they make me sometimes tremble to think of them But how and if I should delight in them before I am aware Answ. Beg of God for strength against them and if at any time thou findest thy wicked Heart to give way in the least thereto for that is likely enough and though thou find it may on a sudden give way to that hell-bred Wickedness that is in it yet do not despair for as much as Christ hath said All manner of Sins and Blasphemies shall be forgiven to the Sons of Men. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man that is Christ as he may do with Peter through Temptation yet upon Repentance it shall be forgiven him Mat. 12. 32. Object But I thought it might have been committed all on a sudden either by some blasphemous Thought or else by committing some other horrible Sin Answ. For certain this Sin and the commission of it doth lie in a knowing wilfull malicious or despiteful together with a final trampling the Blood of sweet Jesus under foot Heb. 10. Object But it seems to be rather a resisting of the Spirit and the motions thereof than this which you say for first its proper Title is the Sin against the Holy Ghost And again They have done despite unto the Spirit of Grace So that it rather seems to be I say that a resisting of the Spirit and the movings thereof is that Sin 1 Answ. For certain the Sin is committed by them that do as before I have said
to their eternal state but he heareth them as to several streights that they go through in this life I and gives them case and liberty from their trouble Here this poor wretch was almost perished for a little water and he cryed and God heard him yea he heard him out of Heaven Read also the 107 Psalm 23. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Psal. 106. 15. He gave them their desire and sent leanness to their souls But some may say methinks this is yet more strange that God should hear the Prayers the cries of those that are under the Law and answered them Answ. I told you before he doth not hear them as to their eternal state but as to their temporal state For God as their Creator hath a care of them and causeth the sun to shine upon them and the rain to distill upon their substance Mat. 5. 45. Nay he doth give the Beasts in the field their appointed food and doth hear the young Ravens when they cry Psal. 147. 9. which are far inferiour to man I say therefore that God doth hear the cries of his Creatures and doth answer them too though not as to their eternal state but may damn them nevertheless when they die for all that Secondly They may receive promises from the mouth of the Lord. There are many that have had promises made to them by the Lord in a most eminent manner and yet as I said before are such as are cast out and called the Children of the Bond-woman which is the Law see Gen. 21. 17 18. And the Angel of the Lord called out of Heaven to Hagar that was the Bond-woman saying fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Arise lift up the Lad and hold him in thine hand FOR I WILL MAKE OF HIM mark there is the promise For I will make of him of the son of the Bond-woman a great Nation Thirdly Nay they may go further for they may receive another heart than they had before and yet be under the Law There is no man I think but those that do not know what they say that will think or say that Saul was under the Covenant of Grace yet after he had talked with Samuel and had turned his back to go from him saith the Scripture God gave him another heart 1 Sam. 10. 9. another heart mark that and yet an out-cast a rejected person 1 Sam. 15. 26 29. Friends I beseech you let not these things offend you but let them rather beget in your hearts an enquiring into the truth of your condition and be willing to be searched to the bottom and also that every thing which hath not been planted by the Lords right hand may be rejected and that there may be a reaching after better things even the things that will not only make thy soul think thy state is good now but that thou mayest be able to look sin death hell the curse of the Law together with the Judge in the face with comfort having such a real sound effectual work of God Grace in thy soul that when thou hearest the Trumpet sound seest the graves flie open and the dead come creeping forth out of their holes when thou shalt see the Judgment set the books opened and all the world standing before the Judgment seat I say that then thou mayest stand and have that blessed sentence spoken to thy soul Come ye blessed of my Father wherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the Foundation of the World Mat. 25. 34. Object But you wil say for all this we cannot believe that we are under the Law for these reasons As first because we have found a change in our hearts Secondly Because we do deny that the Covenant of Works will save any Thirdly Because for our parts we judge our selves far from legal principles for we are got up into as perfect a Gospel order as to matter of practice and discipline in Church Affairs as any this day in England as we judge Answ. First That mans belief that is grounded upon any thing done in him or by him only that mans belief is not grounded upon the death burial resurrection ascension and intercession of Jesus Christ for that man that hath indeed good ground of his eternal salvation his faith is settled upon that object which God is well pleased or satisfied withal which is that man that was born of Mary even her first-born Son that is he doth apply by faith to his soul the vertues of his death blood righteousness c. and doth look for satisfaction of soul no where else then from that neither doth the soul seek to give God any satisfaction as to justification any other ways but doth willingly and chearfully accept of and embrace the vertues of Christs death together with the rest of his things done by himself on the Cross as a Sacrifice and since also as a Priest Advocate Mediator c. And doth so really and effectually receive the glories of the same That thereby mark that thereby he is changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Thus in general but yet more particular First To think that your condition is good because there is some change in you from a loose prophane life to a more close honest and civil life and conversation I say to think this testimony sufficient for to ground the stress of thy salvation upon is very dangerous First Because such a soul doth not only lay the stress of its salvation besides the man Christ Jesus that died upon the Cross But Secondly Because that his confidence is not grounded upon the Saviour of sinners but upon his turning from gross sins to a more refined life and it may be to the performance of some good duties which is no Saviour I say this is very dangerous therefore read it and the Lord help you to understand it for unless you lay the whole stress of the salvation of your souls upon the merits of another man namely Jesus and that by what he did do and is a doing without you for certain as sure as God is in Heaven your souls will perish And this must not be notionally neither as with an assenting of the understanding only but it must be by the wonderful invisible invincible power of the Almighty God working in your souls by his Spirit such a real saving holy saith that can through the operation of the same Spirit by which it is wrought lay hold on and apply these most heavenly most excellent most meritorious benefits of the man Christ Jesus not only to your heads and fancles but to your very souls and consciences so effectually that you may be able by the same faith to challenge the power madness malice rage and destroying nature either of sin the Law death the Devil together with hell and all other evils throwing your souls upon the death burial resurrection and intercession of that man Jesus without Rom. 8 32
in Gods account than the sounding of a Drum Brass or the tinkling of a Cimball which are things that notwithstanding their sound and great noise are absolutely void of life and motion and so are accounted with God as nothing that is no Christians no Believers not under the Covenant of Grace for all that See 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. Secondly Men may not only do this but may also be changed in reality for a season from what they formerly were and yet be nothing at all in the Lords account as to an eternal blessing Read 2 Pet. 2. 20. the Scripture which I mentioned before for indeed that one Scripture is enough to prove all that I desire to say as to this very thing for if you observe there is enfolded therein these following things first that reprobates may attain to a knowledge of Christ. Secondly This knowledge may be of such weight and force that for the present it may make them escape the pollutions of the world and this by hearing the Gospel For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowled 〈◊〉 of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the last end of that man is worse than his beginning Now that they are Reprobates Dogs or Sows Read further But saith he it is happenened to them according to the true proverb the Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire verse 21. 22. But say you our practices in the worship of God shall testifie for us that we are not under the Law for we have by Gods goodness attained to as exact a way of walking in the ordinances of God and as near the examples of the Apostles as ever any Churches since the primitive time as we judge Answ. What then do you think that the walking in the order of the Churches of old as to matter of outward worship is sufficient to clear you of your sins at the judgment day or do you think that God will be contented with a little bodily subjection to that which shall vanish and fade like a flower when the Lord shall come from Heaven in flaming fire with his mighty Angels 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. Alas alis how will such professors as these are fall before the Judgment-seat of Christ then such a question as this Friend how camest thou in hither not having on thy wedding garment will make them be speechless and fall down into everlasting burnings thousands on a heap for you must know that it is not then your crying Lord Lord that will stand you in stead nor your saying We have eat and drunk in thy presence that will keep you from standing on the left hand of Christ. It is the principle as well as the practice that shall be enquired into at that day Quest. The principle you will say what do you mean by that Answ. My meaning is the Lord Jesus Christ will then enquire and examine whether the Spirit from which you acted was Legal or Evangelical that is whether it was the spirit of adoption that did draw you out to the thing you took in hand or a meer moral principle together with some shallow and common illuminations into the outward way of the Worship of God according to Gospel rule Quest. But you will say its like how should this be made manifest and appear Answ. I shall speak briefly in answer hereunto as followeth First then that man that doth take up any of the ordinances of God namely as Prayer Baptism breaking of Bread Reading Hearing Alms-deeds or the like I say he that doth practice any of these or such like supposing thereby to procure the love of Christ to his own soul he doth do what he doth from a Legal and not from an Evangelical or Gospel Spirit as thus for a man to suppose that God will hear him for his Prayers sake for his Alms-sake for his Hamiliation sake or because he hath promised to make God amends hereafter whereas there is no such thing as a satisfaction to be made to God by our Prayers or whatever we can do I say there is no such way to have reconciliation with God in And so also for men to think because they are got into such and such an Ordinance and have crouded themselves into such and such a Society that therefore they have got pretty good shelter from the wrath of the Almighty when alas poor souls there is no such thing No but God will so set his face against such professors that his very looks will make them to tear their very flesh yea make them to wish would they had the biggest Mill-stone in the world hanged about their necks and they cast into the midst of the Sea For friends let me tell you though you can now content your selves without the holy harmless undefiled perfect righteousness of Christ yet there is a day a coming in which there is not one of you shall be saved but those that are and shall be found clothed with that righteousness God will say to ALL the rest Take them bind them hand and foot and cast them into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. for Christ will not say unto men in that day Come which of you made a profession of me and walked in Church-fellowship with my Saints no but then it shall be enquired into who hath the reality of the truth of grace wrought in their hearts and for certain he that misseth of that shall surely be cast into the lake of fire there to burn with the devils and damned men and women there to undergo the wrath of the eternal God and that not for a day a month a year but for ever for ever for ever and ever there is that which cutteth to the quick therefore look to it and consider now what you do and whereon you hang your souls for it is not every pin that will hold in the judgment nor every foundation that will be able to hold up the house against those mighty terrible souldrowning floods and destroying tempests which then will roar against the soul and body of a sinner Luke the 6. the three last verses and if the principle be rotten all will fall all will come to nothing Now the principle is this not to do things because we would be saved but to do them from this namely because we do really believe that we are and shall be saved but do not mistake me I do not say we should slight any holy duties God forbid but I say he that doth look for life because he doth do good duties he is under the Covenant of Works the Law let his duties be never so eminent so often so fervens so zealous I and I say as I said before that if any man or men or multitudes of people do get into never so high so eminent and clear
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
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
at another time through temptation they may fear and doubt again insomuch that the soul may be put into a very great fear lest it should return again into the condition it once was in Jer. 32 40. O saith the soul when I think of my former state how miserable it was it makes me tremble and when I think that I may fall into that condition again how sad are the thoughts of it to me I would not be in that condition again for all the world and this fear riseth still higher and higher as the soul is sensible of Satans temptations or of its working of its own corruptions Ha! these filthy lusts these filthy corruptions O that I was rid of them that they were consumed in a moment that I could be quite rid of them they do so disturb my soul dishonour my God so defile my conscience and sometimes so weaken my hands in the way of God and my comforts in the Lord O how glad should I be if I might be stripped of them Rom. 7. 24. Which fear puts the soul upon flying to the Lord by prayer for the covering of his imputed righteousness and for strength against the Devils temptations and its own corruptions that God would give down his holy spirit to strengthen it against the things that do so anoy its soul and so discourage it in its way with a resolution through grace never to be contented while it doth find in it self a triumphing over it by faith in the blood of a Crucified Jesus Secondly The soul that hath been thus killed by the Law to its things it formerly delighted in now O now it cannot be contented with that slender groundless faith and hope that once it contented it self withal No no but now it must be brought into the right saving knowledge of Jesus Christ now it must have him discovered to the soul by the spirit now it cannot be satisfied because such and such do tell it is so No but now it will cry out Lord shew me continually in the light of thy Spirit through thy word that Jesus that was born in the days of Cesar Augustus when Mary a Daughter of Judah went with Joseph to be taxed at Bethelâ—m that he is the very Christ. Lord let me see it in the light of thy spirit and in the operation thereof and let me not be contented without such a faith that is so wrought even by the discovery of his birth crucifying death blood resurrection ascension intercession and second which is his personal coming again that the very faith of it may fill my soul with comfort and holiness and O how afraid the soul is lest it should fall short of this faith and of the hope that is begotten by such discoveries as these are For the soul knoweth that if it hath not this it will not be able to stand neither in death nor judgment and therefore saith the soul Lord whatever other poor souls content themselves withal let me have that which will stand me instead and carry me through a dangerous world that may help me to resist a cunning Devil that may help me to suck true soul satisfying consolation from Jesus Christ through thy promises by the might and power of thy Spirit And now when the poor soul at any time hath any discovery of the love of God through a bleeding dying risen interceding Jesus because it is not willing to be deceived O how wary is it of closing with it for fear it should not be right for fear it should not come from God Saith the soul Cannot the Devil give one such comfort tro Cannot he transform himself thus into an Angel of light So that the soul because it would be upon a sure ground cries out Lord shew me thy salvation and that not once or twice but Lord let me have thy presence continually upon my heart to day and to morrow and every day for the soul when it is rightly brought from under the Covenant of Works and planted into the Covenant of Grace then it cannot be unless it be under some desperate temptation contented without the presence of God teaching comforting stablishing and helping of the soul to grow in the things of the Lord Jesus Christ because it knoweth that if God hath but with-drawn his presence in any way from it as he doth do sometimes for a while that then the Devil will be sure to be near at hand working with his temptations trying all ways to get the soul into slavery and sin again also the corrupt principle that will be joyning and combining with the wicked one and will be willing to be a Co-partner with him to bring the soul into mischief which puts a soul upon an earnest continual panting after more of the strengthening preserving comforting and teaching presence of God and for strong supplies of faith that it may effectually lay hold on him Thirdly The soul is quickned so that it is not satisfied now without it do indeed and in truth partake of the peace of Gods Elect now it is upon the examination of the reality of its joy and peace Time was indeed that any thing would serve its turn any false conceâ—ts of its state to be good but now all kind of peace will not serve its turn all kind of joy will not be accepted with it now it must joy in God through Jesus Christ now its peace must come through the vertue of the blood of Christ speaking peace to the conscience by taking away both the guilt and the filth of sin by that blood also by shewing the soul its free acceptance with God through Christ he having compleatly fulfilled all the conditions of the first Covenant and freely placed it into the safety of what he hath done and so presents the soul compleat and spotless in the sight of God through his obedience Now I say he hath peace through the blood of his Cross and sees himself reconciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1. 20 21. or else his comfort will be questioned by him It is not every promise as cometh now upon his heart that will serve his turn no but he must see whether the Babe Jesus be presented to the soul in and through that promise now if the Babe leap in his womb as I may say so say it is because the Lords promise sounds aloud in his heart coming to him big with the love and pardoning grace of God in Jesus Christ I say this is the first and principle joy that the soul hath that is quickened and brought into the Covenant of Grace Fourthly Now the man finds Heavenly sanctification wrought in his soul through the most precious blood of the man whose name is Jesus Christ. Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Now the soul finds a change in the understanding in the will in the mind in the affections in the judgment and also in the conscience through thâ—
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
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
I could that God would accept of me and have mercy upon me as he had on others Ah friends this is the cause of the ruine of thousands for if they are blinded to this both the right use of the Law and also of the Gospel is hid from their eyes and so for certain they will be in danger of perishing most miserably poor souls that they are unless God of his meer mercy and love doth rend the vail from off their hearts the vail of ignorance for that is it which doth keep these poor souls in this besetted and blindfolded condition in which if they dye they may be lamented for but not helped they may be pittied but not preserved from the stroak of Gods everlasting vengeance In the next place if you would indeed be delivered from the first into the second Covenant I do admonish you to the observing of these following particulars First Have a care that you do not content your selves though you do good works that is which in themselves are good in and with a Legal Spirit which are done these ways as followeth First If you do any thing commanded in Scripture and in your doing of it do think that God is well pleased therewith because you as you are religious men do do the same upon this mistake was Paul himself in danger of being destroyed for he thought because he was zealous and one of the strictest sect for Religion therefore God would have been good unto him and have accepted his doings as it is clear for he counted them his gain Philipians 3. 4 5 6 7 8. Now this is done thus When a man doth think that because he thinks he is more sincere more liberal with more difficulty or to the weakning of his estate I say if a man because of this doth think that God accepteth his labour it is done from an Old Covenant Spirit Again Some men they think that they shall be heard because they have prayer in their families because they can pray long and speak expressions or express themselves excellently in prayer that because they have great enlargements in prayer I say that therefore to think that God doth delight in their doings and accept their works this is from a Legal Spirit Again Some men think that because their Parents have been religious before them and have been indeed the people of God they think if they also do as to the outward observing of that which they learned from their fore-runners that therefore God doth accept them but this also is from a wrong spirit and yet how many are there in England at this day that think the better of themselves meerly upon that account I and think the people of God ought to think so too not understanding that it is ordinary for an Eli to have an Hophni and a Phinâ—has both sons of Belial Also a good Samuel to have a perverse off-spring likewise David an Absalom I say their being ignorant of or else negligent in regarding this they do think that because they do spring from such and such as the Jews in their generations did that therefore they have a priviledge with God more than others when there is no such thing John 8 33 34 35. Mat. 3. 7 8 9. but for certain if the same faith be not in them which was in their fore-runners to lay hold of the Christ of God in the same spirit as they did they must utterly perish for all their high conceits that they have of themselves Secondly When People come into the presence of God without having their eye upon their Divine Majesty through the flesh and blood of the Son of Mary the Son of God then also do they come before God and do whatsoever they do from a Legal Spirit an old Covenant Spirit As for instance you have some people 't is true they will go to Prayer in appearance very fervently and will plead very hard with God that he would grant them their desires pleading their want and the abundance thereof they will also plead with God his great mercy and also his free promises but yet they neglecting the aforesaid Body or Person of Christ the righteous Lamb of God to appear before him in I say in thus doing they do not appear before the Lord no otherwayes then in an old Covenant Spirit for they go to God only as a merciful Creator and they themselves as his Creatures not as he is their Father in the Son and they his children by Regeneration through the Lord Jesus I and though they may call God their Father in the Notion not knowing what they say only having learned such things by tradition as the Pharisees did yet Christ will have his time to say to them even to their faces as he did once to the Jews Your father for all this your profession is the Devil to their own grief and everlasting misery John 8. 44. The third thing that is to be observed if we would not be under the Law or do things in a Legal Spirit is this to have a care that we do none of the works of the holy Law of God for life or acceptance with him no nor of the Gospel neither To do the works of the Law to the end we may be accepted of God or that we may please him and to have our desires of him is to do things from a Legal or old Covenant-Spirit and that is expresly laid down where it is said To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt that is he appears before God through the Law and his obedience to it Rom. 4. 4 5. And again though they be in themselves Gospel-Ordinances as baptism breaking of bread hearing praying meditating or the like yet I say if they be not done in a right Spirit they are thereby used as a hand by the Devil to pull thee under the Covenant of Works as in former times he used circumcision which was no part of the Covenant of Works the ten Commands but a Seal of the righteousness of Faith yet I say they being done in a Legal Spirit the Soul was thereby brought under the Covenant of Works and so most miserably destroyed unawares to it self and that because there was not a right understanding of the nature and terms of the said Covenants And so it is now Souls being ignorant of the nature of the old Covenant do even by their subjecting to several Gospel-ordinances run themselves under the old Covenant and fly off from Christ even when they think they are a coming closer to him O miserable If you would know when or how this is done whether in one particular or more I shall shew you as followeth 1. That man doth bring himself under the Covenant of Works by Gospel-Ordinances when he cannot be persuaded that God will have mercy upon him except he do yield obedience to such or such a particular thing commanded in the Word this is the very same spirit that was in
the false brethren spoken of Asts 15. Gal. the whole Epistle whose judgement was that unless such and such things were done they could not be saved As now a days we have also some that say unless your Infants be baptized they cannot be saved and others say unless you be rightly baptized you have no ground to be assured that you are believers or members of Churches which is so far off from being so good as a Legal Spirit that it is the Spirit of Blasphemy as is evident because they do reckon that the Spirit Righteousness and Faith of Jesus and the confession thereof is not sufficient to declare men to be members of the Lord Jesus when on the other side though they be rank hypocrites yet if they do yield an outward subjection to this or that they are counted presently communicable members which doth clearly discover that there is not so much honour given to the putting on the righteousness of the Son of God as there is given to that which a man may do and yet go to hell within an hour after nay in the very doing of it doth shut himself for ever from Jesus Christ. 2. Men may do things from a Legal or Old Covenant-Spirit when they content themselves with their doing of such and such a thing as prayers reading hearing baptism breaking of bread or the like I say when they can content themselves with the thing done and sit down at ease and content because the the thing is done As for instance some men they being persuaded that such and such a thing is their duty and that unless they do do it God will not be pleased with them nor suffer them to be heirs of his kingdom they from this spirit do rush into and do the thing which being done they are content as being persuaded that now they are without doubt in a happy condition because they have done such things like unto the Pharisee who because he had done this and the other thing said therefore in a bragging way Lord I thank thee that I am not as this Publican for I have done thus and thus when alas the Lord gives him never a good word for his labour but rather a reproof 3. That man doth act from a Legal Spirit who maketh the strictness of his walking the ground of his assurance for eternal life Some men all the ground they have to believe that they shall be saved it is because they walk not so loose as their neighbours they are not so bad as others are and therefore they question not but that they shall do well now this is a false ground and a thing that is verily Legal and savours only of some slight and shallow apprehensions of the Old Covenant I call them shallow apprehensions because they are not right and sound and are such as will do the Soul no good but beguile it in that the knowledge of the nature of this Covenant doth not appear to the Soul only some commanding power it hath on the Soul which the Soul endeavouring to give up it self unto it doth find some peace and content and especially if it find it self to be pretty willing to yield it self to its commands and is not this the very ground of thy hoping that God will save thee from the wrath to come If one should ask thee what ground thou hast to think thou shalt be saved wouldst thou not say truly because I have left my sins and because I am more inclinable to do good and to learn and get more knowledge I endeavour to walk in Church order as they call it and therefore I hope God hath done a good work for me and I hope will save my soul. Alas alas this is a very trick of the Devil to make Souls build the ground of their salvation upon this their strictness and abstaining from the wickedness of their former lives and because they desire to be stricter and stricter Now if you would know such a man or woman you shall find them in this frame namely when they think their hearts are good then they think also that Christ will have mercy upon them but when their corruptions work then they doubt and scruple untill again they have their hearts more ready to do the things contained in the Law and Ordinances of the Gospel Again such men do commonly chear up their hearts and encourage themselves still to hope all shall be well and that because they are not so bad as the rest but more inclinable than they saying I am glad I am not as this Publican but better than he more righteous than he Luke 18. 11. 4. That is a Legal and Old Covenant-Spirit that secretly persuades the Soul that if ever it will be saved by Christ it must first be â—itted for Christ by its getting of a good heart and good intentions to do this and that for Christ I say that the Soul when it comes to Christ may not be rejected or turned off when indeed and in truth this is the very way for the Soul to turn it self from Jesus Christ instead of turning to him for such a Soul looks upon Christ rather to be a painted Saviour or a Cipher then a very and real Saviour Friend if thou canst fit thy self what need hast thou of Christ If thou canst get qualifications to carry to Christ that thou mightest be accepted thou doest not look to be accepted in the beloved Shall I tell thee thou art as if a man should say I will make my self clean and then I will go to Christ that he may wash me or like to a man possessed that will first cast the Devils out of himself and then come to Christ for cure for him Thou must therefore if thou wilt so lay hold of Christ as not to be rejected by him I say thou must come to him as the basest in the world more fitter to be damned if thou hadst thy right then to have the least smile hope or comfort from him come with the fire of hell in thy conscience come with thy heart hard dead cold full of wickedness and madness against thy own Salvation come as renouncing all thy tears prayers watchings fastings come as a blood-red sinner do not stay from Christ till thou hast a greater sense of thy own misery nor of the reality of Gods mercy do not stay while thy heart is softer and thy spirit in a better frame but go against thy mind and against the mind of the Devil and Sin throw thy self down at the foot of Christ with a halter about thy neck and say Lord Jesus hear a sinner a hard-hearted sinner a sinner that deserveth to be damned to be cast to hell and resolve never to return or to give over crying unto him till thou do find that he hath washed thy Conscience from dead works with his blood vertually and clothed thee with his own righteousness and made thee compleat in himself this is the way to
things that we have heard and not in any wise to let them be questioned and the rather because you see the Testament is not only now made but confirmed not only spoken of and promised but verily sealed by the death and blood of Jesus which is the Testatour thereof My Brethren I would not have you ignorant of this one thing that though the Jews had the promise of a sacrifice of an everlasting high Priest that should deliver them yet they had but the Promise for Christ was not sacrificed and was not then come an High Priest of good things to come only the Type the Shadow the Figure the Ceremonies they had together with Christs engaging as Surety to bring all things to pass that was promised should come and upon that account received and saved It was with them and their dispensation as this similitude gives you to understand Set the case that there be two men who make a covenant that the one should give the other ten thousand Sheep on condition the other give him two thousand pound but for as much as the Money is not to be paid down presently therefore if he that buyeth the Sheep will have any of them before the day of payment the Creditor requesteth a Surety and upon the engagement of the Surety there is part of the Sheep given to the Debtor even before the day of payment but the other at and after So it is here Christ covenanted with his Father for his Sheep I lay down my Life for my Sheep saith he but the Money was not to be paid down so soon as the bargain was made as I have already said I yet some of the Sheep were saved even before the Money was paid and that because of the suretiship of Christ as it is written Being justified or saved freely by his Grace through the Redemption or purchase of Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare himself righteous in his forgiving the Sins that are past or the Sinners who died in the Faith before Christ was crucified through Gods forbearing till the payment was paid to declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be Just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Rom. 3. 24. 25. 26. The end of my speaking of this is to shew you that it is not wisdom now to doubt whether God will save you or no but to believe because all things are finished as to our Justification The Covenant not only made but also sealed the Debt paid the Prison Doors â—lung off of the Hooks with a Proclamation from Heaven of Deliverance to the Prisoners of Hope saying Return to the strong hold ye Prisoners of Hope even to day do I declare saith God that I will render unto thee double Zech. 9. 12. And saith Christ when he was come The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because be hath anointed me to preach the Gospel that is good Tidings to the Poor that their Sins shall be pardoned that their Souls shall be saved He hath sant me to bind up the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of the Sight of the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised and to comfort them that mourn to preach the acceptable Year of the Lord. Luke 4. 18 19. Therefore here Soul thou may'st come to Jesus Christ for any thing thou wantest as to a common Treasure house being the principal Man for the distributing of the things made mention of in the New Covenant he having them all in his own custody by right of Purchase for he hath bought them all paid for them all Dost thou want Faith then come for it to the Man Christ Jesus Heb. 12. 2. Dost thou want the Spirit then ask it of Jesus Dost thou want Wisdom Dost thou want Grace of any â—ort Dost thou want a new Heart Dost thou want strength against thy Lusts against the Devils Temptations Dost thou want strength to carry thee thorow afflictions of Body and afflictions oâ— Spirit through Persecutions Wouldest thou willingly hold out stand to the last and be more than a Conquerour then be sure thou meditate enough on the Merits of the Blood of Jesus how he hath undertaken for thee that he hath done the work of thy Salvation in thy room that he is filled of God on purpose to fill thee and is willing to communicate whatsoever is in him or about him to thee Consider this I say and Triumph in it Again This may inform us of the safe state of the Saints as touching their Perseverance that they shall stand though Hell rages tho' the Devil roareth and all the World endeavoureth the ruine of the Saints of God tho' some through ignorance of the vertue of the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ do say a man may be a child of God to day and a child of the Devil to morrow which is gross ignorance for what is the Bloud of Christ the Death the Resurrection of Christ of no more vertue than to bring in for us an uncertain Salvation or must the effectualness of Christs merits as touching our Perseverance be helped on by the doings of Man surely they that are predestinated are also justified and they that are justified they shall be glorified Rom. 8. 30. Saints do not doubt of the salvation of your Souls unless you do intend to undervalue Christs Blood and do not think but that he that hath begun the good work of his grace in you will perfect it to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Phil. 1. 6. Should not we as well as Paul say I am persuaded that nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. O let the Saints know that unless the Devil can pluck Christ out of Heaven he cannot pull a true Believer out of Christ. When I say a true Believer I do mean such a one as hath the Faith of the Operation of God in his Soul Lastly Is there such Mercy as this such Priviledges as these is there so much ground of Comfort and so much cause to be Glad Is there so much store in Christ And such a ready heart in him to give it to me Hath his bleeding Wounds so much in them as that the Fruits thereof should be the Salvation of my Soul Of my sinful Soul As to save me sinful me rebellious me desperate me what then Shall not I now be holy Shall not I now study strive and lay out my self for him that hath laid out himself Soul and Body for me Shall I now love ever a Lust or Sin Shall I now be ashamed of the Cause Wayes People or Saints of Jesus Christ Shall I not now yield my Members as Instruments of Righteousness seeing my end is everlasting Life Rom. 6. Shall Christ think nothing too dear for me And shall I count any thing too dear for him Shall I grieve him