therefore the world hate and contend with his Disciples because he hath chosen them out of the world wicked men have an enmity in their hearts against Believers and will not be at Peace with them But Christ preached Peace with God Christ came from Heaven to bring this glad tydings to earth that the God of Heaven was willing to be at Peace with sinfull men It would not have been an easie thing to have made sinners believe especially if they had been convinced of sin how heinous it is in its own nature how highly it affronts and provokes the highest Majesty if they had been awakened with a sense of the dreadfulness of the punishment which God hath threatned and they had deserved for their sins that so great and holy a God should be willing to put up all affronts and forgive all iniquities and be at Peace with sinners yea that he should seek after it They might have questioned not only how this could be but also how any could have known it But to put all out of doubt Christ the eternal Son of God hath come forth from Heaven declaring what he hath heard of the Father and hath made known this that God is willing to be at peace with us Christ was sent from the King of Glory upon the Embassage of Peace and he preached Peace therefore unto men not unto all men for Isa. 57.21 There is no Peace to the wicked that is to such as are impenitent and senseless of their sins and go on still in their trespasses Christ threatned the wicked as severely as Iohn Baptist he tells the impenitent that they should perish Luk 13.3 and the unbelievers that they should die in their sins Ioh. 8.24 And he calls the hypocritical Pharisees who persevered in their opposition of him and his waies Serpents and Vipers that could not escape the damnation of Hell Matth. 23.33 But Christ preached Peace to all that repented were troubled for their sins that mourned and turned that believed and yielded up themselves to the obedience of the Gospel He preached the Gospel to the poor to the bruised and broken that is such as were sensible of their sins and their need of a Saviour Luk. 4.18 And we Ministers have commission from the Lord to preach Peace to the children of men we are Ministers of the Gospel of Peace unto us is committed the Word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 Indeed we must sound the Trumpet of War from Heaven in the ears of secure sinners to awaken them but we are to hang out the white flag and to come with Olive branches of Peace from God to them that tremble at Gods Word and are humble for their sins Sinners are there any among you whose hearts the Lord hath touched and bruised for sin yea broken to shivers and melted and filled with grief and sorrow for a life of past-wickedness that have not only legal terrours but true Evangelical repentance I have a word of Peace to deliver to such of you from the Lord. God is willing to be at Peace with you through his Son There is an Advocate with the Father who is ready to make up the breach which sin hath made between God and your souls and God doth call you to lay hold on his strength that you may make Peace with him and he promiseth that you shall make peace with him Isa. 27.5 Thus concerning the word of Repentance and Peace which Peter tells Cornelius and them which were with him SECT VIII 3. PEter speaks to them of the Lord Jesus Christ by whom this Peace was purchased and the Word of Peace preached and that 1. Concerning his Vnction 2. Concerning his Life 3. Concerning his Miracles 4. Concerning his Death 5. Concerning his Resurrection 6. Concerning his Ordination to be the Iudge of the World 7. Concerning his Mission of them to preach 1. Peter speaks to them concerning the Vnction of Christ. He tells them that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power God poured forth his Spirit without measure upon Christ which qualified him for his offices and he gave him power and authority to execute them There is a Threefold Office which Christ was anointed unto 1. The Priestly Office 2. The Pâ—â—phetical Office 3. The Kingly Office 1. Christ was anointed to the Priestly Office who offered up sacrifice to God even a sin-offering and Peace-offering â—o make reconciliation for sin not the sacrifice of Bulls and Goats or Lambs or Rams which could never of themselves take away guilt but he through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God he offered the sacrifice of himself for a sweet-smelling savour and shed his own blood for the remission of sins by which blood having obtained eternal redemption for his people he entered into the Holy place not made with hands which was but figurative but into Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God to make intercession for them Christ is the great High priest not after the order of Aaron who were many and mortall and sinfull and their Priesthood changeable but he is a High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec hath an unchangeable Priesthood therefore is able to save all those to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession in their behalf Heb. 7.25 Moreover v. 26. he is holy harmless undefiled seperate from sinners and yet very tender and compassionate towards sinners being touched with the feeling of our Infirmities and knows how to pity them which are tempted he is mercifull and he is faithfull too in this Office which the Lord hath anointed him unto Having therefore such an High-Priest over the House of God sinners have encouragement to draw neer unto God with full assurance of acceptance through him Hebr. 10.21 22. 2. Christ was anointed to the Prophetical Office Christ is that Prophet whom the Lord promised to raise up to his people like unto Moses Deut. 18.15 but is far greater than Moses who came down from Heaven to preach the Gospel of salvation to lost sinners who revealed the counsels of the Father which were hid from ages and generations and kept secret untill his time from the foundations of the World who discovered the purposes of Gods Love and the promises of his Grace and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel Christ is the great Prophet anointed by the Father to teach his people by his Word and Spirit who opens the eyes of the understanding which naturally is dark and blinde and leads his people into all truth who of themselves would wander into errour without whose teachings there can be no saving light nor spiritual discerning and relish of Gospel Mysteries 3. Christ was anointed unto the Kingly Office Peter in his Sermon calls him Lord of all God hath given him a Name above every Name he hath exalted him above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion both in Heaven and
Devils so when our first Parents sinned they were cast out of Paradice and since all sinners are out of favour yea they lye under Gods anger and displeasure until they be reconciled All the children of men are by nature the children of wrath Eph. 2.3 And God is angry with the wicked every day Psal. 7.11 They have a natural enmity in their hearts against God and his Law Rom. 8.7 and God is an enemy unto them yea hath a hatred in his heart against all the workers of iniquity Psal. 5.6 God is an enemy unto the wicked because of their sins and this is worse ten thousand degrees than 〈◊〉 they had all the creatures in the world their enemies because of the power of his anger which none ca◠resist when once he suffers it to break forth We read of the stout-hearted and men of might th◠chariot and horse cast into a dead sleep at one o◠Gods rebukes and who can stand in his sight wher◠once he is angry Psal. 76.5 6 7. And God is coming forth with armed vengeance against his enemies he hath prepared instruments of death he hath whe◠his sword and girt it upon his thigh yea drawn it forth and lifted up his arm to strike he hath bent his bow and made ready his arrows upon the string and sinners can neither fly from him nor defend themselves against him Then a people are saved indeed when they are saved from Gods displeasure when his anger and the guilt of their sin which is the cause is removed when their peace is made with God through the mediation of Jesus Christ when God forgiveth all their sins and accepteth of them as perfectly righteous in his sight through the imputation of his Sons righteousness unto them and so puts up and layeth aside his sword unbends his bow and casts it behind his back and receiveth them into favour as if they had never offended him 2. When they are saved from the slavery of the Devil and their own lusts All the wicked are spiritual slaves and vassals they are in worse than Egyptian bondage their thraldom and captivity is greater than that of the Iews once to the Babylonians The Devil hath his fetters upon their hands and feet and leadeth them captive by the chains of their own lusts at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 They are shut up as it were in prison and lye in a deep dark dungeon where no light doth shine they are fallen into a horrible pit and their feet stick in the miery clay they are sunk into deep waters and the stream is gone over their soul they are fallen into a deadly sickness and a loathsome disease hath seized upon their spirits they are full of boils and blains and putrifying sores all this and a thousand times worse is their condition through the power and reign of sin in them then a people are saved in a spiritual sense when they are redeemed from sin and Satan when the Lord Jesus Christ doth rescue them out of the Devils chains when he leadeth captivity captive spoileth principalities and powers and snatcheth them like a prey out of the teeth of the roaring Lion when he delivereth them from the power of darkness and translateth them into the houshold and family of God when he brings them out of the house of bondage and leads them out of Egypt through the Red Sea of his own blood in which he drowneth and destroyeth their Egyptian lusts which do pursue them when he openeth the prison doors and pulls them out of the deep dungeon and knocks off the chains from their feet when he breaks the bonds of the Devil and sin and brings them forth into freedom and enlargement when he takes them out of the pit and draws them out of the water when he healeth their sickness cleanseth and cureth their putrifying sores I mean when he delivereth them from the power of sin which entangled overwhelmed and defiled them and was more dangerous than any sickness of body could be unto them then they are saved when Satan is taken off and sin hath no more dominion over them and the Throne of Christ is erected in their hearts and his graces implanted there which do beautifie them instead of lust which did besmear and deform them when being made free from sin and Satan they are become the Servants of God and yield up their members as instruments of righteousness Rom. 6.13 22. when they are enabled to overcome the Devil and his temptations and to crucifie the flesh with its lusts and affections when the old Serpent is wounded in the head and cast out and the old man is wounded in the heart and its reigning power taken down and they are made victorious through Christ the Captain of their salvation who loveth them 3. When they are saved from the Law not only from the yoak and bondage of the Ceremonial Law which the Iewish Church of old was under which required many burdensome expensive and more carnal services but also from the rigour irritation curse and malediction of the Moral Law The Law is like the Egyptian Task-masters who required Brick of the Israelites but gave no Straw it requireth duty perfect obedience but giveth no strength it discovereth sin but giveth no power to overcome it and it enjoyneth service but it giveth no ability to perform it therefore the Law is said to be weak through sinful flesh Rom. 8.3 Yea the Law when it breaketh in with a full spiritual light and conviction of sin upon the spirit forbidding heart concupiscence and the least motion or inclination of the soul to sin and pressing to spiritual and heart-purity and obedience it is so far from beating down and killing the power of sin and from strengthening the soul and enabling it unto obedience that it doth revive the power of sin which seemed to be dead before in the soul and occasionally doth irritate and provoke to all manner of concupiscence the discovering it awakens the enmity of the heart against it self which lay before dormant As the Apostle doth complain Rom. 7.5 For when we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death And v. 7 8. Sin taking occasion by the Law wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed Moreover the Law doth curse all the children of men that are within its power and reach because of their sins which none are wholly free from Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them People are saved from the Law when they are delivered from the rigorous yoak of the Moral Law which is called the Law of sin and death as it occasioneth sin and threatneth
death for it or discovereth our death and utter insufficiency of our selves to obey its injunctions and have instead thereof their necks put under the sweet and easie yoak of the Law of Christ which is called the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus because life and strength is given by the Spirit of Christ to yield obedience thereunto As Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death And vers 3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit The Law could not give strength against sin because of the strength of the flesh the Law discovered sin but it could not subdue sin but God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh in which flesh he suffered and offered a sacrifice for sin by which sin or sin-offering as the word sin doth elsewhere signifie as Hos. 4.8 They eat the sins of my people that is the sin-offerings of my people he condemned sin in the flesh sin was hereby judged and condemned to lose its power in his people it was condemned to death which death or sin-offering of Christ hath vertue and influence upon sin to kill it to crucifie it like as Christ was crucified for it and so Gods people are said to be delivered from the Law from the irritating and provoking power of it unto sin that being dead wherein they were held and whereby the Law did stir up such motions that they might serve in newness of spirit Rom. 7.6 that they might yield the fruits of new obedience that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them sin having lost its strength they have strength from the Spirit of Christ to yield such obedience to the Law as through Christ shall be accepted And with this deliverance of people from the rigour and irritation of the Law is conjoyned their deliverance also from the curse and malediction by Jesus Christ who was made a curse for them instead whereof the blessing of Abraham the father of the faithfull is given unto them as it is expresly said Gal. 3.13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Faith 4. When they are saved from the eternal damnation of Hell all unbelieving sinners are under the sentence of damnation Ioh. 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already they are condemned by the great Judge unto an utter exclusion from the glorious presence of the Lord in that place of joy and happiness which is above and to endure most horrid extream and endless anguish and torment in soul and body in the place of utter darkness which is beneath where their worm shall never dye and where the fire shall never be quenched This sentence is dreadfull and all unbelievers are lyable every moment to the execution thereof upon their souls So soon as God shall give commission to the Serjeant Death to arrest them and clap up their bodies into the Prison of the grave then their souls being found guilty will be delivered into the hand of the Devil the Jailor of Hell whither he will drag them and where they must remain full of anguish through sense of Gods immediate wrath wherewith they will be filled and bound up in chains of darkness and wo untill the Judgement of the great day on which great day the Lord Jesus Christ will be sent by God to judge the whole world together and they shall be brought forth in chains to his barre and having reassumed their bodies shall be judged by him soul and body unto the flames of everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and O the dread and horrour which will then possess them O the howlings and bitter lamentations which then they will make when the God of Heaven shall execute the fierceness of his anger upon them for their sins in the extream and remediless torments of Hell which shall never have an end The sentence of eternal damnation which all unbelievers whilest such are under here is dreadfull yet whilest here it is reversible whilest the reprieve of execution lasteth a repeal of the sentence may be obtained by an appeal from the Court of the Law to the Court of Chancery from the Barr of Gods Justice to the Throne of Grace by application of themselves unto Christ to be their Advocate and of his Righteousness to themselves by Faith whereby Justice hath been satisfied and they may be acquitted People are saved from eternal damnation when through an interest in Christ they obtain pardoning mercy and so are freed from all obligation to punishment by their sins hence it is said that there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 and they that believe are not condemned Joh. 3.18 and that because Jesus is their Saviour and hath delivered them from the wrath which is to come 1 Thess. 1.10 Believers have a title to eternal salvation here through their title to Christ it is sure and they may be assured of it but hereafter they shall actually obtain it at the day of Judgement and perdition of the ungodly when the wicked shall be condemned and thrust into the place of torments they shall be acquitted saved and received into Heavenly Mansions prepared by their Redeemer for them in his Fathers house where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore and so they shall march along with him unto the Zion which is above with shouting and the voice of triumph with Songs in their mouths and unspeakable delight in their hearts they shall then obtain everlasting joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away and no place be found for it to dwell where they shall take up their eternal abode This is the Salvation which is here meant and which God hath promised to shew unto them who believe and order their conversation aright And thus you see what it is for a people to be saved SECT V. 2. THE second thing is To shew what those Words are which Ministers are to tell people whereby they may be saved And here I shall for the present speak only of those words which the Apostle Peter told Cornelius whereby he and his house were saved there was great power and vertue which went along with them for it is said whilest he was speaking of them the Holy Ghost fell upon the Gentiles unto whom he preached as upon the Apostles themselves at the beginning chap. 10.44 and therefore they are worthy your serious regard possibly you that are unconverted in the hearing or reading
Earth and hath put all things under his feet and all power into his hand and appointed him to be head over all unto his Church He is the King of Saints whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and whose Scepter is a Scepter of Righteousness he hath given Laws to his people with great wisdom and ruleth in their hearts with great power and whosoever will not submit to his Sceptâ—r to be ruled by his Laws he will break them in pieces with his Iâ—on Rod. Thus concerning Christs Vâ—ction to his Offices 2. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Life that he went about doing good His Life was holy free from sin he did no evil no injury to any man he was harmless his whole employment was to do good Never was there such a man living upon the face of the Earth who never committed any sin in his life neither in thought word or deed Some indeed have said they had no sin but they have lied for no man liveth that sinneth not but Christ was born without sin and lived without sin he was perfectly good and righteous and he did good His Life was exactly according to the Rule he fulfilled the Law not only by his passive but also by his active Obedience 3. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Miâ—acles whereof they were witnesses instance is given of his casting out Devils likely he told them of more of his calming the Winds and Sea with a word his feeding five thousand with five Loaves his opening the eyes of them which were born blinde his raising the dead that had been buried several dayes and the like which works were a testimony of his Divinity and that he came from the Father 4. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Death Him they slew and hanged upon a tree Christ humbled himself not only to take upon him our Humane Nature to be born of a mean Virgin and live in a low condition when he was Lord of all and God equall with the Father to take upon him the form of a servant but he humbled himself further to become obedient unto Death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.6 7 8. It was a cursed disgracefull lingering and painfull death which he endured and however it was inflicted upon him by the hands of cruel blood-thirsty men yet it was according to the fore-appointment of God for the satisfaction of Gods Justice for the expiation of Mans sin it was not only for an example of suffering to men but in the room and stead of sinners who otherwise must all have unavoidably perished and for the ratification of the New Testament and Covenant of Grace So that the salvation of Man from sin and Hell and the Inheritance of glory and happiness doth depend upon the Death of Christ which was the purchase hereof 5. Peter speaketh to them concerning Christs Resurrection Him hath God raised from the dead and shewed openly Though Christ dyed and was buried yet the bands of death could not hold him and the Holy One did not see corruption his body was not so long in the grave as to putâ—â—fie but within three dayes he arose again from the dead and was seen of Mary Magdalen first after of two Disciples as they went unto Immaus after of Peter and all the Apostles after of above five hundred Brethren at once He was declared to be Man by his death he was declared to be the Son of God with power by the Spirit of holiness in him which raised him from the dead forty dayes he remained upon the Earth after his Resurrection and then was caught up to the Throne of God in the presence of his Disciples and there he that was dead is alive and lives for evermore whose Resurrection as it hath an influence upon the spiritual Resurrection of his people from sin who when dead in sin are quickened by the same Spirit which raised him up So it is the first fruits of the resurrection of his people from the grave who in their order and Gods appointed time shall be awakened out of their long sleep of death and come forth of the dust and be caught up to meet him in the Air at his last appearance to Judge the World which is the next thing Peter speaketh of Christ. 6. Peter speaketh to them concerning Gods ordination of Iesus Christ to be the Iudge of quick and dead God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness and hath ordained Jesus Christ to be the Judge who will so soon as the mystery is finished and the Elect are gathered come down from Heaven where now he is with a great shout and the sound of a Trumpet and awaken all the dead and summon the whole world to his barr and render unto all according to their works to them that have repented and believed and by patient continuance in well-doing have sought for glory and honour and immortality he will give eternal life but to them which have been impenitent and hard-hearted and disobedient to the Gospel he will give indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish and sentence them to eternal Death 7. Peter speaketh to them concerning Christs Mission of them to preach He sent the Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sins in his Name and he hath appointed the Office of the Ministry to continue to the end of the World for the calling and conversion of those which belong to the Election of Grace and the building up and perfecting the Saints which are called untill they all come into the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.12 13. Thus the Apostle Peter preacheth Christ unto Cornelius and them which were with him SECT IX 4. AND lastly Peter speaks to them concerning the Way of Salvation by Christ vers 43. To him gave all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him should receive remission of sins There is no Name under Heaven whereby we can be saved but the Name of Christ Act. 4.11 and there is no salvation by Christ but by Faith When the Jaylor with trembling enquired of Paul and Silas What shall I do to be saved they tell him Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.30 31. There are three Arguments which will evidently prove That all such as truely believe in Christ do receive remission of sins and consequently are in a state of Salvation The First may be drawn from Christs Satisfaction The Second from Christs Intercession The Third from the Promises of the New Testament I. First from Christs Satisfaction If Christ hath fully satisfied Gods Justice for the sins of men and this satisfaction be accepted by the Father in the behalf of sinners and this satisfaction be imputed unto all them that truely believe in Christ as if they bad made it themselves Then all those that
they would find mercy Prov. 28.13 The wicked must forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn to the Lord and then he shall have pardoning mercy abundantly Isa. 55.7 When men cease to do evil and learn to do well then though their sins have been as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be like woâ—ll Isa. 1.16 17 18. Sinners turn from your evil waies you have done iniquity do so no more you have gone on hitherto in a way of sin proceed no further it is the way to Hell turn out of it Let him that hath stoln steal no more and him that hath been filthy be filthy no more and him that hath been unjust be unjust no more Drunkards forbear your drinking swearers refrain swearing lyars teach your tongues to speak truth Break off your course of sin turn from all gross sins as to the practice and turn from all sins as to the affection Direction 4. You must believe in the Lord Iesus Christ if you would be saved This is the direction which Paul gave to the Jaylor when under conviction of sin he came in to him and cryed What shall I do to be saved he saith to him Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.30 31. So in Peter's Sermon Act. 10.43 To him gave all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him should receive remission of sins There is no Saviour but by Christ and there is no salvation by Christ bâ—t by faith and therefore we are said to be saved through faith Ephes. 2.8 As faith is the instrument to apply the merits and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Let me then exhort you to get faith which is absolutely necessary unto salvation Get faith of the right kind there is a general common historical temporary hypocritical dead and ineffectual faith but do you labour after a special lively unfeigned effâ—ctual justifying and saving faith and that you may not be mistaken in this great point on which your salvation doth depend I shall describe that faith which is of the right kind and will certainly save you if you obtain it Faith is a grace wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God whereby a poor sinner being made sensible of the guilt and power of his sins and the utter insufficiency of himself or any creature in the world to give him any help or succour and having in the Gâ—spel a discovery and proffer made unto him of the Lord Iesus Christ as an all sâ—fficient most merciful and faithful Advocate and Saviour doth go quite out of himself and accâ—pt lay hold rely and rest vpon him and him alone for pardon and grace and eâ—erlasting happiness Or more brâ—efly thus Faith is a grace of God wherâ—by the humilâ—d sinner doth accept and rely upon Christ alone for salvation as he is held forth in the Promises of the Gospel If you would attain this grace of Faith take these Directions 1. You must be fully perswaded that the Scriptures which reveal Christ are indeed the word of God this is the foundation of all faith therefore I shall briefly suggest some Arguments to prove the divine Authority of the Scriptures As 1. Because of that majesty purity holinâ—ss heavenliness which doth appâ—ar in the Sâ—râ—ptures beyond all other writings 2. Because of the design and drift of the Scriptures to debase man and exalt God and his glory above all 3. Because of the admirable contexture and contrivance and sweet harmony of the Scriptures in all the parts thereof though written by so many several men in several ages and places which sheweth that they were all acted by the same Spirit of God 4. Because of the wonderfull work of mans Redemption there set forth at fiâ—st more darkly afterwards more clearly which no mortal bâ—ain could have invented much less could any created power have effected 5. Because of the great power which this word hath to convince convert and comfort 6. Because of the confirmation of the Scriptures by miracles 7. Because of the acknowledgement of the Scriptures to be Gods Word in all ages 8. Because of the many millions of Martyrs who have sealed the Truths of the word with their blood 9. Because of the witness of the Spirit in and with the word which doth bear testimony to the hearts of Gods people that the Scriptures are his Word and were indiâ—ed by his Spirit Whence it followeth that the Scriptures are true because God the Author of them is true and cannot lye and whatever is there revealed is as certain as those things which are most demonstrable to sense or reason This is the first step to your believing in Christ who is made known in the Scriptures to believe that the Scriptures are Gods Word 2. If you would attain a saving faith in Christ you must be convinced and fully pâ—rswaded of your lost estate without Christ and your absolute need of him of which before 3. You must be perswaded that it is not in your own power to believe that it is not of your selves but is the gift of God Ephes. 2.8 and therefore must apply your selves to God that he would not only give you his Son but also give you the hand of faith to lay hold on him that he would work in you this grace of faith by his Spirit 4. You must consider those Arguments of Scripture which encourage faith As for instance I shall mention four heads of Arguments for faith from the consideration 1. Of God 2. Of the Promises 3. Of Christ. 4. Of the Saints 1. From the consideration of God who hath given his Son to save sinners it is an encouragement to â—aith to consider 1. That God is mercifull and therefore willing to pardon and save otherwise he would not have sent his Son he doth not delight in the death of sinners Ezek. 18.23 but delighteth to shew mercy see Micah 7.18 19. Exod. 34.6 7. Psal. 103.8 9 c. 2. That God is faithfull in his Promises of salvation which he hath made through his Son in his Covenant of Grace God needed not have made the Covenant nor promised mercy to any sinners but having made the Covenant he is engâ—gâ—d to make it good 3. That it is for his glory to save sinners through his Son the glory of his free grace yea and justice too which hath been fully satisfied by Christs death 2. You have encouraging Arguments for faith from the consideration of the Promises which are 1. Large made to all sorts of persons and all sorts of sinners none are excluded 2. Full they extend to all sorts of sins though never so many and great Isa. 55.7 3. Free nothing is required on your part but accepting 4. Sure being the Promises of God in Christ. 3. You have encouragement to believe in Christ for salvation from the consideration of Christ the proper object of faith 1. The quality of his