in the use of this Doctrine Object But you will say by these words of yours you do seem to deny that there are conditional promises in the Gospel as is clear in that you strike at such practices as are conditional and commanded to be done upon the same Answ. The thing that I strike at is this that a man in or with a legal spirit should not â—ay cannot do any conditional command of the Gospel acceptable as to his eternal state because he doth it in an old Covenant spirit No man putteth new Wine into old Bottles but new Wine must have new Bottles a Gospel command must have a Gospel spirit or else the Wine will break the Bottles or the principle will break the command Object Then you do grant that there are conditional promises in the New Testament as in the moral Law or ten Commands Answ. Though this be true yet the conditional promises in the New Testament do not call to the same people in the same state of 〈◊〉 â—â—neracy to fulfill them upon the same conditions The Law and the Gospel being two distinct Covanaâ—â—s they are made in divâ—rs ways and the nature of the conditions also being not the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostle The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Law saith one thing and the righteousness of Faith 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ibeâ— Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the great condition in the 〈◊〉 is If you do these things you shall live by them but the condition even the greatest condition said down for a poor 〈◊〉 do as to salvation for it 〈◊〉 that we speak of is to believe that my 〈◊〉 be forgiven me for Jesus Christs sake without the works 〈◊〉 righteousness of the Law on my part to help forward Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not such the Apostle for salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on him that justifieth the â—â—godly his faith mark his faith is counted for righteousness So that we saith he 〈◊〉 that a man is justified by faith without mark again without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. But again there is never a condition in the Gospel that can be fulfilled by an unbelieveâ— and therefore whether there be conditions or whether there be none it makes no matter to thee who art without the Faith of Christ for it is unpossible for thee in that state to do them so at to be ever the better as to thy eternal state therefore lest thou shouldest 〈◊〉 thy soul upon the conditions laid down in the Gospel as thou wilt do if thou go about to do them only with a Legal spirit but I say to prevent this see if thou canst fulfill the first condition that is to believe that all thy sins are forgiven thee not for any condition that hath been or can be done by thee but meerly for the mans sake that did hang on Mount Calvary between two Thieves some sixteen hundred years ago and odd And I say see if thou caâ—st believe that at that time he did when he hanged on the Cross give full satisfaction for all thy sins before thou in thy person hadst committed ever a one I say see if thou canst believe this and take heed thou deceive not thy self with an historical notional or traditional acknowledgement of the same And Secondly See if thou canst so well fulfill this condition that the very vertue and efficacy that it â—hath on thy soul will ingage thee to fulfill those other conditions really in love to that man whom thou shouldest believe hath frankly and freely forgiven thee all without any condition acted by thee to move him thereto according to that saying in the 2 Cor. 5. 14. 15. and then thy doing will arise from a contrary principle than otherwse it will do that is then thou will not act and do because thou wouldest be accepted of God but because thou hast some good hope in thy heart that thou art accepted of him already and not on thine but wholly and alone upon another mans account for here runs the Gospel Spirit of Faith mark We believe and therefore speak So we believe and therefore do 2 Cor. 4. 13. Take heed therefore that you do not that you may believe but rather believe so effectually that you may do even all that Jesus doth require of you from a right principle even out of love to your dear Lord Jesus Christ which thing I shall speak to more fully by and by Object But what do you mean by those expressions Do not do that you may believe but believe so effectually that you may do Answ. When I say do not do that you may believe I mean do not think that any of the things that thou canst do will procure or purchase faith from God unto thy soul for that is still the old Covenant Spirit the Spirit of the Law to think to have it for thy doing They that are saved they are saved by Grace through faith and that not of themselves not for any thing that they can do for they are both the free gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Not of doing or of works lest any man should be proud and boast verse 9. Now some people be so ignorant as to think that God will give them Christ and so all the merits of his if they will be but vigilant and do something to please God that they may obtain him at his hands but let me tell them they may lose a thousand souls quickly if they had so many by going this way to work and yet be never the better for the Lord doth not give his Christ to 〈◊〉 upon such conditions but he doth give him freely that is without having respect to any thing that is in thee Rev. 22. 17 Isa 55. 1 2. To him that is a thirst will give he doth not say I will sell but I will give him the water of life freely Rev. 21. 6. Fow if Christ doth give it and that freely then he doth not sell it for any thing that is in the creature but Christ doth give himself as also doth his Father and that freely not because there is any thing in us or done by us that moves him thereunto If it were by doing then saith Paul Grace is not Grace seeing it is obtained By works but Grace is Grace and that is the reason it is given to men without their works Rom. 11. 6. And if it be by Grace that is if it be a free gift from God without any thing foreseen as done or to be done by the creature then it is not of works which is clear therefore it is grace without the works of the Law but if you say â—ay it is of something in the man done by him that moves God thereunto then you must conclude that either Grace is no Grace or else that Works are Grace and not Works Do but read with understanding Rom. 11. 6. Now before I go any further it may be necessary to speak a word or two to some poor souls that are willing to
upon the house of Jehu Hos. 1. 4. Seventhly Men may hear and fear the servants of the Lord and reverence them very highly yea and when they 〈◊〉 they may not only hear but hear and do and that gladly too not one or two things but many mark many things gladly and yet be lost and yet be damned see Mar 6. 20. For Herod feared John why not because he had any civil power over him but because he was a just man and holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly it may be that thou thinkest that because thou hearest such and such therefore thou art better than thy neighbours but know for certain that thou mayest not only hear but thou mayest hear and do and that not with a backward will but gladly mark gladly and yet be Herod still an enemy to the Lord Jesus still consider this I pray you 2. But Secondly To the second thing which is this How far may such a one go to what may such a one attain whither may he arrive and yet be an undone man under this Covenant Answ. First Such a one may be received into fellowship with the Saints as they are in a visible way of walking one with another they may walk hand in hand together see Mat. 25. 1. where he saith The Kingdom of Heaven that is a visible company of professors of Christ is likened to ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom five of them were wise and five were foolish These in the first place are called Virgins that is such as are clear from the pollutions of the world Secondly They are said to go forth that is from the rudiments and traditions of men Thirdly They do agree to take their lamps with them that is to profess themselves the Servants of Jesus Christ that wait upon him and for him and yet when he came he found half of them even them Virgins that had Lamps that also went forth from the pollutions of the world and the customs of men to be such as lost their precious souls see verse 10. which they should not have done had they been under the Covenant of Grace and so not under the Law Secondly They may attain to a great deal of honour in the said company of professors that which may be accounted honour in so much that they may be put in trust with Church Affairs and bear the bag as Judas did I speak not this to shame the Saints but being beloved I warn them yet I speak this on purpose that it might if the Lord will knock at the door of the souls of professors consider Demas Thirdly They may attain to speak of the word as Ministers and become preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in so much that the people where they dwell may even take up a Proverb concerning them saying Is he among the Prophets his gifts may be so rare his tongue may be so fluent and his matter may be so fit that he may speak with a tongue like an Angel and speak of the hidden mysteries yea of them all mark that 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. and yet be nothing and yet be none of the Lords anointed ones with the Spirit of grace savingly but may live and die under the Curse of the Law Fourthly They may go yet further they may have the gifts of the Spirit of God which may inable them to cast out Devils to remove the biggest Hills or Mountains in the World nay thou mayest be so gifted as to prephesie of things to come the most glorious things even the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign over all his enemies and yet be but a Balaam a wicked and a mad Prophet see 2 Pet. 2. 16. Numb 24. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. Fifthly they may not only stand thus for a while for a little season but they may stand thus till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with his holy Angels I and not be discovered of the Saints till that very day Then all those Virgins arose the wise and the foolish then when why when this voice was heard Behold the Bridegroom cometh go you out to meet him Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4 5 6. and yet was out of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet was under the Law Sixthly Nay further they may not only continue in a profession till then supposing themselves to be under the Grace of the Gospel when indeed they are under the Curse of the Law but even when the Bridegroom is come they may still be so confident of their state to be good that they will even reason out the case with Christ why they are not let into the Kingdom of glory saying Lord Lord have we not eaten and drunk in thy presence and hast not thou taught in our streets Nay further Have not we taught in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils nay not only this but done many mark we have done many wonderful works nay further they were so confident that they commanded in a commanding way saying Lord open to us See here I beseech you how far these went they thought they had had intimate acquaintance with Jesus Christ they thought he could not chuse but save them they had eat and drunk with him sat at the table with him received power from him executed the same power In thy Name have we done thus and thus even wrought many wonderful works see Mat. 7. 22. Luke 13. 25 26. And yet these poor creatures was shut out of the Kingdom O consider this I beseech you before it be too late lest you say Lord let us come in when Christ saith thrust him out verse 28. Hears you cry Lord open to us when he saith Depart I know you not lest though you think of having joy you have weeping and gnashing of teeth 3. But Thirdly The third thing touched in the question was this What may such a one receive of God who is under the Curse of the Law First They may receive an answer to their Prayers from God at sometimes for some things as they do stand in need of I find in Scripture that God did hear these persons that the Apostle saith was cast out see Gen. 21. 17. And God heard the voice of the Lad even of cast out Ishmael And the Angel of the Lord called to Hagar out of Heaven which was the bond woman and under the Law Gal. 4. 30. and said unto her Fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Friends It may be you may think because you have your prayers answered in some particular things therefore you may suppose that as to your eternal state your condition is very good But you must know that God doth hear the cry of a company of Ishmaelites the sons of the Bond-Woman who are under the Law as a Covenant of Works I do not say he hears them as
practices and Gospel-order as to Church-discipline if it be done to this end I have been speaking from this principle they must and shall have these sad things fall to their share which I have made mention of Object But you will say can a man use Gospel-ordinances with a Legal spirit Answ. Yes as easily as the Jews could use and practice circumcision though not the Moral or Ten Commandments For this I shall be bold to affirm that it is not the Commands of the New Testament administration that can keep a man from using of its self in a legal spirit for know this for certain that it is the principle not the command that makes the subjecter to the same either Legal or Evangelical and so his obedience from that command to be from Legal convictions or Evangelical principles Now herein the devil is wonderous subtle and crafty in suffering people to practice the ordinances and commands of the Gospel if they do but do them in a Legal spirit from a spirit of works for he knows then that if he can but get the soul to go on in such a spirit though they do never so many duties he shall hold them sure enough for he knows full well that thereby they do set up something in the room of or at the least to have some though but a little share with the Lord Jesus Christ in their salvation and if he can but get thee here he knows that he shall cause thee by thy depending a little upon the one and so thy whole dependance being not upon the other that is Christ and taking of him upon his own terms thou wilt fall short of life by Christ though thou do very much busie thyself in a suitable walking in an outward conformity to the several commands of the Lord Jesus Christ. And let me tell you plainly that I do verily believe that as Satan by his Instruments did draw many of the Galatians by Circumcision though I say it was none of the commands of the moral Law to be debtors to do upon pain of eternal damnation the whole of the moral Law So also Satan in the time of the Gospel doth use even the commands laid down in the Gospel some of them to bind the soul over to do the same Law the thing being done and walked in by and in the same spirit For as I said before it is not the obedience to the command that makes the subjecter thereto Evangelical or of a Gospel Spirit but contrariwise the principle that leads out the soul to the doing of the command that makes the persons that do thus practice any command together with the command by them practised either Legal or Evangelical As for instance prayer it is a Gospel command yet if he that prayes doth it in a Legal spirit he doth make that which in it self is a Gospel command an occasion of leading him into a Covenant of Works in as much as he doth it by and in that old Covenant spirit Again giving of Alms is a Gospel command yet if I do give Alms from a Legal principle the command to me is not Gospel but Legal and it binds me over as aforesaid to do the whole Law For he is not a Jew not a Christian that is one outwardly that is one only by an outward subjection to the ordinances of prayer hearing reading baptism breaking of bread c. But he is a Jew a Christian which is one inwardly who is rightly principled and practiseth the ordinances of the Lord from the leadings forth of the spirit of the Lord from a true and saving faith in the Lord Rom. 2. 28 29. Those men spoken of in the 7. of Matthew for certain for all their great declaration did not do what they did from a right Gospel Spirit for had they no question but the Lord would have said Well done good and faithful servants but in that the Lord Jesus doth turn them away into Hell notwithstanding their great profession of the Lord and of their doing in his name it is evident that notwithstanding all that they did do they were still under the Law and not under that Covenant as true believers are to wit the Covenant of Grace and if so then all their duties that they did of which they boasted before the Lord was not in and by a right Evangelical principle or Spirit Again saith the Apostle Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. but there are some that do even practise baptism breaking of bread together with other ordinances and yet are unbelievers therefore unbelievers doing these things they are not done in faith but sin now to do these things in sin or without the faith it is not to do things in an Evangelical or Gospel Spirit also they that do these things in a Legal spirit the very practising of them renders them not under the Law of Christ as head of his Church but the works they do are of so much contradiction to the Gospel of God or the Covenant of Grace that they that do them thus do even set up against the Covenant of Grace and the very performance of them is of such force that it is sufficient to drown them that are subjecters thereunto even under the Covenant of Works but this poor souls are not aware of and there is their misery Quest. But have you no other way to discover the things of the Gospel how they are done with a Legal principle but those you have already made meâ—tion of Answ. That thou mightest be indeed satisfied herein I shall shew you the very manner and way that a Legal or old Covenant converted professor bear with the terms doth take both in the beginning middle and the end of his doing of any duty or command or whatsoever it be that he doth do First He thinking this or that to be his duty and considering of the same he is also presently perswaded in his own conscience that God will not accept of him if he leave it undone he seeing that he is short of his duty as he supposeth while this is undone by him and also judging that God is angry with him until the thing be done he in the second place sets to the doing of the duty to the end he may be able to pacifie his conscience by doing of the same perswading of himself that now the Lord is pleased with him for doing of it Thirdly Having done it he contents himself sits down at his ease untill some further convictions of his duty to be done which when he seeth and knoweth he doth do it as aforesaid from the same principle as he did the former and so goeth on in his progress of profession This is to do things from a Legal principle and from an old Covenant spirit for thus runs that Covenant The man that doth these things shall live in them or by them Levit. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Gal. 3. 12. Rom. 10. 5. but more of this
9. 12 13. Chap. 10. 4 5. Isa. 53. 10. Heb. 10. 5. 8. Those were but at best but a shadow or type verse 1. but he the very substance and end of all those Ceremonies Heb. 9. 10. 11. 9. Their holy place was but made by men Heb. 9. 24. but his or that which Jesus is entered is into Heaven it self Heb. 5. 2 3. 10. When they went to offer their sacrifice they were forced to offer for themselves as men compassed about with infirmity Heb. 7. 26. but he holy harmless Heb. 10. 11. who did never commit the least transgression Heb. 7. 26. 11. They when they went in to offer they were fain to do it standing Heb. 10. to signifie that God had no satisfaction therein but he when he had offered one sacrifice for sin for ever sat down on the right hand of God Jer. 12. To signifie that God was very well pleased with his offering 12. They were fain to offer often times the sacrifice that could never take away sin but he by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 11 14. 13. Their sacrifices at the best could but serve for the cleansing of the flesh Heb. 9. 13. but his for cleansing both body and soul The blood of Jesus Christ doth purge the conscience from dead works to live a holy life verse 14. 14. Those high Priests could not offer but once a year in the holiest of all ver 7. but our high Priest he ever liveth to make intercession for us Heb. 7. 24 25. 15. Those high Priests notwithstanding they were Priests they were not always to were their holy garments but Jesus never puts them off of him but is in them always 16. Those high Priests death would be too hard for them Heb. 7. 21 23. but our high Priest hath vanquished and overcome that cruel enemy of ours Heb. 2. 15. and brought life and immortality to light through the glorious Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. 17. Those high Priests were not able to save themselves but this is able to save himself and all that come to God by him Heb. 7. 25. 18. Those high Priests blood could not do away sin but the blood of Jesus Christ who is our High Priest cleanseth us from all sin 1 John 1. 7. 19. Those high Priests sometimes by sin caused God to reject their sacrifices but this high Priest doth always the things that please him 20. Those high Priests could never convey the Spirit by vertue of their sacrifices or office but this high Priest our Lord Jesus he can and doth give all the gifts and graces that are given to the sons of men 21. Those high Priests could never by their sacrifices bring the soul of any sinner to glory by vertue of it self but Jesus hath by one offering as I said before perfected for ever those that he did die for Thus in brief I have shewed in some particulars how and wherein Jesus our high Priest doth go beyond those high Priests and many more without question might be mentioned but I forbear A fifth Office of Christ in reference to the second Covenant it was that he should be the Fore-runner again to heaven before his Saints that were to follow after First he strikes hands in the Covenant Secondly he stands bound as a surety to see every thing in the Covenant accomplished that was to be done on his part then he brings the message from heaven to the world and before he goeth back he offereth himself for the same sins that he agreed to suffer for and so soon as this was done he goeth post haste to heaven again not only to exercise the second part of his Priestly Office but as our Fore-runner to take possession for us even into heaven it self as you may see Heb. 6. 20. where it is said Whither the forerunner is for us entered First He is run before to open heaven gates Be ye open ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may enter in Secondly He is run before to take possession of glory in our natures for us Thirdly He is run before to prepare us our places against we come after I go to prepare a place for you John 14. 1 2 3. Fourthly He is run thither to make the way easie in that he hath first trodden the path himself Fifthly He is run thither to receive gifts for us All spiritual and heavenly gifts had been kept from us had not Christ so soon as the time appointed was come run back to the kingdom of glory to receive them for us But I cannot stand to enlarge upon these glorious things the Lord enlarge them upon your hearts by meditation Here now I might begin to speak of his Prophetical and Kingly Office and the priviledges that do and shall come thereby but that I fear I shall be too tedious therefore at this time I shall pass them by Thus you may see how the Covenant of Grace doth run and with whom it was made and also what was the conditions thereof Now then this Grace this evenlasting Grace of God comes to be free to us through the satisfaction according to the conditions given by another for us for though it be free and freely given to us yet the obtaining of it did cost our Head our Publick-man a very dear price 1 Cor. 6. 20. For ye are bought with a price even with the precious blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 9. So it is by another I say not by us yet it is as sure made over to us even to so many of us as do or shall believe as if we had done it and obtained the grace of God ourselves nay surer for consider I say this grace is free to us and comes upon a clear score by vertue or the labour and purchase of another for us mark that which is obtained by another for us is not obtained for us by our selves Now but Christ hath obtained eternal redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. not by the blood of goats and calves which was things offered by men under the Law but by his own blood meaning Christs he entred into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us Secondly It comes to be unchangeable through the perfection of that satisfaction that was given to God through the Son of Mary for us for whatever the divine infinite and eternal justice of God did call for at the hands of man if ever he intended to be a partaker of the grace of God this Jesus this one man this publick person did compleatly give a satisfaction to it even so effectually which caused God not only to say I am pleased but I am well pleased Mat. 3. 17. Compleatly and sufficiently satisfied with thee on their behalf for so you must understand it Mark there these following words And having made peace or compleatly made up the difference through the blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say
own free gift and not a qualification arising from the stock of nature Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 28 29. So that here is the love unchangeable here is also the condition given by him whose love is unchangeable which may serve yet further for a strong argument that God will have his love unchangeable Sinner this is better felt and enjoyed then talked of Object But if this love of God be unchangeable in it self yet it is not unchangeably set upon the Saints unless they behave themselves the better Answ. As Gods love at the first was bestowed upon the Saints without any thing foreseen by the Lord in them as done by them Deut. 9. 4 5 6. So he goeth on with the same saying I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. Object But how cometh it to pass then that many fall off again from the grace of the Gospel after a profession of it for some time some â—o delusions and some to their open sins again Answ. They are fallen away not from the everlasting love of God to them but from the profession of the love of God to them men may process that God loves them when there is no such matter and that they are the Children of God when the Devil is their father as it is in John 8. 40 41 42 43 44 Therefore they that do finally fall away from a profession of the grace of the Gospel It is first because they are Bastards and not Sons Secondly Because as they are not Sons so God suffereth them to fall to make it appear that they are not Sons not of the houshold of God They went out from us for they were not of us for if they had been of us no doubt mark that no doubt saith he they would have continued with us but they went out from us that it might be made man fest that they were not all of us 1 John 2. 19. And though Hymeneus and Philetus do throw themselves headlong to hell Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2. 17 18 19. Object But the Scripture saith that there are some that had Faith yet lost it and have made shipwrack of it Now God loves no longer than they believe as is evident For he that believes not shall be damned So then if some may have Faith and yet lose it and so lose the love of God because they have lost their Faith it is evident that Gods love is not so immutable as you say it is to every one that believeth Answ. There is more sorts of Faith than one that is spoken of in Scripture First There is a Faith that men may have and yet be nothing none of the Saints of God 2 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. and yet may do great things therewith 2. There is a Faith that was wrought meerly by the operation of the miracles that was done in those days by Christ and his followers And many of the people believed on him How came they by their Faith Why by the operation of the miracles that be did among them for said they When Christ cometh will he do more miracles than this man hath done The great thing that wrought their Faith in them was only by seeing the miracles that he did John 7. 31. John 2. 23. which is not that saving Faith which is called the Faith of Gods Elect as is evident for there must not be only miracles wrought upon outward objects to beget that that being too weak a thing but it must be by the same power that was stretched out in raising Christ from the dead yea the exceeding greatness of that power Eph. 1. 18 19. So there is a believing being taken with some marvellous work visible appearing to the outward sense of seeing and there is a believing that is wrought in the heart by an invisible operation of the Spirit revealing the certainty of the satisfaction of the merits of Christ to the soul in a more glorious way both for certainty and for durableness both as to the promise and the constancy of it Mat. 16. 17 18. 3. There is a Faith of a mans own of a mans self also but the Faith of the operation of God in Scripture is set in opposition to that for saith he You are saved by Grace through Faith and that not of your selves of your own making but that which is the free gift of God Eph. 2. 8. 4. We say there is an Historical Faith that is such as is begotten meerly by the History of the Word not by the Co-operation of the Spirit by the Word 5. We say there is a Traditional Faith that is to believe things by Tradition because others say they believe them this is received by Tradition not by Revelation and shall never be able to stand neither at the day of Death nor at the day of Judgment though possibly men while they live here may esteem themselves and states to be very good because their heads are filled full of it 6. There is a Faith that is called in Scripture a dead Faith the Faith of Devils or of the Devil they also that have only this they are like the Devil and as sure to be damned as he notwithstanding their Faith if they get no better into their hearts for it is far off from enabling of them to lay effectual hold of Jesus Christ and so to put him on for eternal life and sanctification Jam 2. 19 26. which they must do if ever they be saved But all these are short of the saving Faith of Gods elect as is manifest I say First Because these may be wrought and not by that power so exceedingly stretched forth Secondly Because these are wrought partly first by the sense of seeing namely the miracles not by hearing and secondly the rest is wrought by a traditional or historical influence of the words in their heads not by an heavenly invisible almighty and saving operation of the Spirit of God in their hearts 7. I do suppose also that there is a Faith that is wrought upon men through the influence of those gifts and abilities that God gives sometimes to those that are nor his own by election though by creation my meaning is some men finding that God hath given them very great gifts and abilities as to the gifts of preaching praying working miracles or the like I say they therefore do conclude that God is their Father and they his Children the ground of which confidence is still begotten not by the glorious operation of the spirit but by a considering of the great gifts that God hath bestowed upon them as to the things before mentioned As thus First The poor soul considering how ignorant it was and now how knowing it is Secondly Considering how vain it formerly was and also now how civil it is presently makes this conclusion surely God loves me surely he hath made me one of his and will save me
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—
them and so I think should we Answ. This comparison is wrongly applied if you bring it to shew us how we must do when we come to Christ. He that can make himself clean hath no need of Christ for the whole the clean and righteous have no need of Christ but those that are foul and sick Physicians you know if they love to be honoured they will not bid the Patients first make themselves whole and then come to them no but bid them come with their sores all running on them as the woman with her bloody issue Mark 5. And as Mary Magdalen with her Belly full of Devils and the Leppers all scabbed and that is the right coming to Jesus Christ. Reply Well I hope that Christ will save me for his promises and mercy is very large and as long as he hath promised to give us life I fear my state the less Answ. It is very true Christs promises are very large blessed be the Lord for ever and also so is his mercy but notwithstanding all that there is many go in at the broad gate and therefore I say your business is seriously to enquire whether you are under the first or second Covenant for unless you are under the second you will never be regarded of the Lord for as much as you are a sinner Heb. 89. And the rather because if God should be so good to you as to give you a share in the second you shall have all your sins pardoned and for certain have eternal life though you have been a great sinner But do not expect that thou shalt have any part or share in the large promises and mercy of God for the benefit and comfort of thy poor soul whilst thou art under the Old Covenant because so long thou art out of Christ through whom God conveyeth his mercy grace and love to sinners For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen Indeed his mercy grace and love is very great but it 's treasured up in him given forth in him through him But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us that he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace But which way In his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus But out of Christ thou shalt find God a just God a sin revenging God a God that will by no means spare the guilty and be sure that every one that is found out of Jesus Christ will be found guilty in the Judgment day upon whom the wrath of God shall smoke to their eternal ruine Now therefore consider of it and take the counsel of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 13. 5. Which is to examine thy self whether thou art in the faith and to prove thy own self whether thou hast received the Spirit of Christ inâ—â— thy soul whether thou hast been converted whether thou hast been born again and made a new creature whether thou hast had thy sins washed away in the blood of Christ whether thou hast been brought from under the Old Covenant into the New and do not make a slight examination for thou hast a precious soul either to be saved or damned And that thou mayest not be deceived consider that it is one thing to be convinced and another to be converted one thing to be wounded and another to be killed and so to be made alive by the faith of Jesus Christ. When men are killed they are killed to all things they lived to before both sin and righteousness as all their old faith and supposed grace that they thought they had Indeed the Old Covenant will shew thee that thou art a sinner and that a great one too but the Old Covenant the Law will not shew thee without the help of the spirit that thou art without all grace by nature no but in the midst of thy troubles thou wilt keep thy self from coming to Christ by perswading thy soul that thou art come already and hast some grace already O therefore be earnest in begging the spirit that thy soul may be enlightned and the wickedness of thy heart discovered that thou mayest see the miserable state that thou art in by reason of sin and unbelief which is the great condemning sin and so in a sight and sense of thy sad condition if God should deal with thee in severity according to thy deservings do thou cry to God for faith in a Crucified Christ that thou mayest have all thy sins washed away in his blood and such a right work of grace wrought in thy soul that may stand in the Judgment-day Again secondly In the next place you know I told you that a man might go a great way in a profession and have many excellent gifts so as to do many wondrous works and yet be but under the Law from hence you may learn not to judge your selves to be the children of God 1 Cor. 1. because you may have some gifts of knowledge or understanding more than others no for thou mayest be the knowingest man in all the Countrey as to head-knowledge and yet be but under the Law and so consequently under the â—urse notwithstanding that Now seeing it is so that men may have all this and yet perish then what will become of those that do no good at all and have no understanding neither of their own sadness nor of Christs mercy O sad Read with understanding Isa. 27. 11. Therefore he that made them will have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour See also 2 Thes. 1. 8 9. Now there is one thing which for want of most people do miscarry in a very sad manner and that is because they are not able to distinguish between the nature of the Law and the Gospel O people people your being blinded here as to the knowledge of this is one great cause of the ruining of many As Paul saith While Moses is read or while the Law is discovered the vail is over their hearts 2 Cor. 3. 15. that is the vail of ignorance is still upon their hearts so that they cannot discern either the nature of the Law or the nature of the Gospel they being so dark and blind in their minds as you may see if you compare it with Chap. 4. 3 4. And truly I am confident that were you but well examined I doubt many of you would be found so ignorant that you would not be able to give a word of right answer concerning either the Law or the Gospel Nay my Friends set the case one should ask you what time you spend what pains you take to the end you may understand the nature and difference of these two Covenants would you not say if you should speak the truth that you did not so much as regard whether there was two or more would you not say I did not think of Covenants or study the nature of them I thought that if I had lived honestly and did as well as
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-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
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
the nature of a Saviour This is proved John 8. 31 32 33 34 35 36. ver This People were Professors and yet did not knovv the Truth the Gospel and the reason was because they did not knovv themselves and so not the Lavv. I vvould not have thee mistake me Christian Reader I do not say that the Lavv of it self vvill lead any Soul to Jesus Christ but the Soul being killed by the Lavv through the operation of its severity seizing on the Soul then the man if he be enlightened by the Spirit of Christ to see vvhere Remedy is to be had vvill not through Grace be contented vvithout the real and saving Knovvledge through Faith of him If thou vvouldest then vvash thy Face clean first take a Glass and see vvhere it is dirty that is If thou vvould'st indeed have thy Sins vvashed avvay by the Blood of Christ labour first to see them in the Glass of the Lavv Jam. 1. and do not be afraid to see thy besmeared Condition but look on every Spot thou hast for he that looks on the foulness of his Face by the halfs vvill vvash by the halfs even so he that looks on his Sins by the halfs he vvill seek for Christ by the halfs Reckon thy self therefore I say the biggest Sinner in the World and be persuaded that there is none vvorse than thy self then let the Guilt of it seize on thy Heart then also go in that case and condition to Jesus Christ and plunge thy self into his Merits and the vertue of his Blood and after that thou shalt speak of the things of the Lavv and of the Gospel experimentally and the very Language of the Children of God shall seelingly drop from thy Lips and not till then Let this therefore learn thee thus much He that hath not seen his lost Condition hath not seen a safe Condition he that did never see himself in the Devils Snare did never see himself in Christ's Bosom This my Son was dead and is alive again Was lost and is found with whom we all had our Conversation in time past But now are so many of us as believe returned to Jesus Christ the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls I say therefore if thou do find in this Treatise in the first place something touching the Nature End and extent of the Lavv do not thou cry out therefore all on a sudden saying Here is nothing but the Terror Horror and thundering Sentences of the Lavv. Again If thou do find in the second part of this Discourse something of the freeness and fullness of the Gospel do not thou say then neither here is nothing but Grace therefore surely an under valuing of the Lavv. No but read it quite thorovv and so consider of it and I hope thou shalt find the tvvo Covenants vvhich all men are under either the one or the other discovered and held forth in their Natures Ends Bounds together vvith the state and condition of them that are under the one and of them that are under the other There be some that through Ignorance do say hovv that such men as preach Terror and Amazement to Sinners are besides the Book and are Ministers of the Letter the Law and not of the Spirit the Gospel but I would answer them citing them to the 16. of Luke from the nineteenth Verse to the end and the 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. and Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 3. from the ninth Verse to the nineteenth only this Caution I would give by the way how that they which preach Terror to drive Souls to the obtaining of Salvation by the Works of the Law that preaching is not the right Gospel-preaching Yet when Saints speak of the sad state that men are in by Nature to discover to Souls their need of the Gospel this is honest preaching see Romans 3. the 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 c. and he that doth do so he doth the Work of a Gospel-Minister Again there are others that say because we do preach the free full and exceeding Grace discovered in the Gospel therefore we make void the Law which indeed unless the Gospel be held forth in the Glory thereof without Confusion by mingling the Covenant of Works therewith the Law cannot be established Do we through Faith or preaching of the Gospel make void the Law Nay stay saith Paul God forbid We do thereby establish the Law Rom. 3. 31. And verily he that will indeed establish the Law or set it in its own place for so I understand the Words must be sure to hold forth the Gospel in its right colour and nature for if a man be ignorant of the nature of the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace they or he will be very apt to remove the Law out of its place and that because they are ignorant not knowing what they say nor whereof they affirm And let me tell you if a man be ignorant of the Covenant of Grace and the bounds and boundlesness of the Gospel though he speaks and makes mention of the Name of the Father and of the Son and also of the Name of the New Covenant and the Blood of Christ yet at this very time and in these very Words he will preach nothing but the Law and that as a Covenant of Works Reader I must confess it is a wonderful mysterious thing and he had need have a wiser Spirit than his own that can rightly set these two Covenants in their right places that when he speaks of the one he doth not justle the other out of its place O to be so well enlightned as to speak of the one that is the Law for to magnifie the Gospel and also to speak of the Gospel so as to establish and yet not to idolize the Law nor any particular thereof it is rare and to be heard and found but in very few mens Breasts If thou should'st say what is it to speak to each of these two Covenants so as to set them in their right places and also to use the terror of the one so as to magnifie and advance the Glory of the other To this I shall answer also read the ensuing Discourse but with an understanding Heart and it is like thou wilt find a Reply therein to the same purpose which may be to thy satisfaction Reader if thou do find this Book empty of fantastical Expressions and without light vain whimsical Scholar-like terms thou must understand it is because I never went to School to Aristotle or Plato but was brought up at my Father's House in a very mean condition among a Company of poor Country-men But if thou do find a parcel of plain yet sound true and home Sayings attribute that to the Lord Jesus his Gifts and Abilities which he hath bestowed upon such a poor Creature as I am and have been And if thou being a seeing Christian dost find me coming short though rightly touching at some things
attribute that either to my Brevity or if thou wilt to my Weaknesses for I am full of them A word or two more and so I shall have done with this And the first is Friend if thou do not desire the Salvation of thy Soul yet I pray thee to read this Book over with serious Consideration it may be it will stir up in thee some desires to look out after it which at present thou mayest be without Secondly if thou do find any stirrings in thy Heart by thy reading such an unworthy man's Works as mine are be sure that in the first place thou give Glory to God and give way to thy Convictions and be not too hasty in getting them off from thy Conscience but let them so work till thou do see thy self by nature void of all Grace as Faith Hope Knowledge of God Christ and the Covenant of Grace Thirdly then in the next place fly in all haste to Jesus Christ thou being sensible of thy lost Condition without him secretly perswading of thy Soul that Jesus Christ standeth open armed to receive thee to wash away thy Sins to cloath thee with his Righteousness and is willing yea heartily willing to present thee before the Presence of the Glory of God and among the innumerable Company of Angels with exceeding Joy This being thus in the next place do not satisfie thy self with these secret and first Perswasions which do or may encourage thee to come to Jesus Christ but be restless till thou do find by blessed experience the glorious Glory of this the second Covenant extended unto thee and sealed upon thy Soul with the very Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that thou mayest not slight this my Counsel I beseech thee in the second place consider these following things First if thou do get off thy Convictions and not the right way which is by seeing thy Sins washed away by the Blood of Jesus Christ it is a question whether ever God will knock at thy Heart again or no but rather say Such a one is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos. 4. 17. Though he be in a natural state let him alone Though he be in or under the Curse of the Law let him alone Though he be in the very hand of the Devil let him alone Though he be a going post-haste to Hell let him alone Though his Damnation will not only be Damnation for Sins against the Law but also for slighting the Gospel yet let him alone My Spirit my Ministers my Word my Grace my Mercy my Love my Pity my common Providences shall no more strive with him let him alone O sad O miserable who would slight Convictions that are on their Souls which tend so much for their good Secondly if thou shalt not regard how thou do put off Convictions but put them off without the precious Blood of Christ being savingly applied to thy Soul thou art sure to have the mispending of that Conviction to prove the hardning of thy Heart against the next time thou art to hear the Word preached or read This is commonly seen that those Souls that have not regarded those Convictions that are at first set upon their Spirits do commonly and that by the just Judgments of God upon them grow more hard more sensless more feared and sottish in their Spirits for some who formerly would quake and weep and relent under the hearing of the Word do now for the present sit so sensless so feared and hardned in their Consciences that certainly if they should have Hell-fire thrown in their Faces as it is sometimes cried up in their Ears they would scarce be moved and this comes upon them as a just Judgment of God 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. Thirdly if thou do slight these or those Convictions that may be set upon thy Heart by reading of this Discourse or hearing of any other good man preach the Word of God sincerely thou wilt have the stifling of these or those Convictions to account and answer for at the Day of Judgment not only thy Sins that are commonly committed by thee in thy Calling and common Discourse but thou shalt be called to a reckoning for slighting Convictions disregarding of Convictions which God useth as a special means to make poor Sinners see their lost Condition and the need of a Saviour Now here I might add many more Considerations besides these to the end thou mayest be willing to tend and listen to Convictions as First consider thou hast a precious Soul more worth than the whole World and this is commonly worked upon if ever it be saved by Convictions Secondly this Soul is for certain to go to Hell if thou shalt be a slighter of Convictions Thirdly if that go to Hell thy Body must go thither too and then never to come out again Now consider this you that are apt to forget God and his Convictions lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. 22. But if thou shalt be such a one that shalt notwithstanding thy reading of thy Misery and also of God's Mercy still persist to go on in thy Sins know in the first place that here thou shalt be left by the things that thou readest without excuse and in the World to come thy Damnation will be exceedingly aggravated for thy not regarding of them and turning from thy Sins which was not only reproved by them but also for rejecting of that Word of Grace that did instruct thee how and which way thou should'st be saved from them And so farewel I shall leave thee and also this Discourse to God who I know will pass a righteous Judgment both upon that and thee I am yours though not to serve your Lusts and filthy minds yet to reprove instruct and according to that proportion of Faith and Knowledge which God hath given me to declare unto you the way of Life and Salvation Your Judgings Railings Surmizings and disdaining of me that I shall leave till the fiery Judgment comes in which the Ostender shall not go unpunished be he you or me yet I shall pray for you wish well to you and do you what good I can And that I might not write or speak in vain Christian pray for me to our God with much Earnestness Fervency and frequently in all your Knocking 's at our Fathers door because I do very much stand in need thereof for my Work is great my Heart is vile the Devil lieth at watch the World would fain be saying aha aha thus we would have it and of my self keep my self I cannot trust my self I dare not if God do not help me I am sure it will not be long before my Heart deceive me and the World have their Advantage of me and so God be dishonoured by me and thou also ashamed to own me O therefore be much in Prayer for me thy Fellow I trust in that glorious Grace that is conveyed from Heaven to Sinners by which they are
not only sanctified here in this World but shall be glorified in that which is to come Unto which the Lord of his Mercy bring us all JOHN BUNYAN These are the several Titles which are set over the several Truths contained in this Book for thy sooner finding of them The First Part. 1. THE Words of the Text opened and the Doctrines laid down 2. What the Covenant of Works is and when it was given 3. What it is to be under the Covenant of Works 4. Who they are that are under the Covenant of Works 5. What men may attain to that are under this Covenant of Works The Second Part. 1. The Doctrine proved 2. The New Covenant made with Christ. 3. The Conditions of the New Covenant 4. The Suretiship of Christ. 5. Christ the Messengerof the New Covenant 6. Christ the Sacrifice of the New Covenant 7. Christ the High Priest of the New Covenant 8. Christ compleatly fulfilled the Conditions of the New Covenant 9. The Covenant of Grace unchangeable the Opposers answered 10. Who and how men are actually brought into the New Covenant 11. A Word of Experience 12. The Priviledges of the New Covenant 13. Two Hell bred Objections answered 14. A Use of Examination about the Old Covenant 15. A Legal Spirit 16. The Use of the New Covenant 17. The unpardonable Sin 18. Objections answered for their Comfort who would have their part in the New Covenant THE DOCTRINE OF THE Law and Grace unfolded OR A Discovery of the Law and Grace the Nature of the one and the Nature of the other as they are the two Covenants c. Rom. 6. 14. For ye are not under the Law but under Grace IN the three former Chapters the Apostle is pleading for the salvation of sinners by Grace without the Works of the Law to the end he might confirm the Saints and also that he might win over all those that did oppose the truth of this Doctrine or else leave them the more without excuse and that he might so do he taketh in hand First to shew the state of all men naturally or as they come into the world by Generation saying in the third Chapter There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that doth good c. As if he had said It seems there is a Generation of men that think to be saved by the righteousness of the Law but let me tell them that they are much deceived in that they have already sinned against the Law For by the disobedience of one many yea all was brought into a state of condemnation Rom. 5. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. Now in the sixth Chapter he doth as if he had turned him round to the Brethren and said My Brethren you see now that it is clear and evident that it is freely by the Grace of Christ that we do inherit eternal life And again for your comfort my brethren let me tell you that your condition is wondrous safe in that you are under Grace for saith he Sin shall not have dominion over you that is neither the damning power neither the filthy power so as to destroy your souls For you are not under the Law that is you are not under that that will damn you for sin But you are under grace or stand thus in relation to God that though you have sinned yet you shall be pardoned For you are not under the Law c. If any should ask what is the meaning of the word UNDER I answer it signifieth you are not held kept or shut up by it so as to appear before God under that administration and none but that or thus you are not now bound by the authority of the Law to fulfil it and obey it so as to have no salvation without you so do or thus if you transgress against any one tittle of it you by the power of it must be condemned No no for you are not so under it that is not thus under the Law Again For you are not under the Law what is meant by this word LAW The word Law in Scripture may be taken more ways then one as might be largely cleared There is the Law of Faith the Law of Sin the Law of Men the Law of Works otherwise called the Covenant of Works or the first or old Covenant Heb. 8. 13. In that he saith a new Covenant which is the Grace of God or commonly called the Covenant of Grace he hath made the first old that is the Covenant of Works or the Law I say therefore the word LAW and the word GRACE in this sixth of the Romans do hold forth the two Covenants which all Men are under that is either the one or the other For ye are not under the Law that is you to whom I do now write these words who are and have been effectually brought into the faith of Jesus you are not under the Law or under the Covenant of Works He doth not therefore apply these words to all but to some when he saith But ye mark YE ye Believers ye Converted persons ye Saints ye that have been born again Ye for ye are not under the Law implying others are that are in their natural state that have not been brought into the Covenant of Grace by faith in Jesus Christ. The words therefore being thus understood there is discovered these two Truths in them Doct. 1. First That there are some in Gospel times that are under the Covenant of Works Doct. 2. Secondly That there is never a Believer under the Law as it is a Covenant of Works but under Grace through Christ For ye you Believers you Converted persons Ye are not under the Law but under Grace or for you are delivered and brought into or under the Covenant of Grace For the first That there are some that are under the Law or under the Covenant of Works see I pray you that Scripture in the third of the Romans where the Apostle speaking before of sins against the Law and of the denunciations thereof against those that are in that condition he saith What things soever the Law saith it saith to them that are under Mark it saith to them that are under the Law That every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. That is all those that are under the Law as a Covenant of Works that are yet in their sins and unconverted as I told you before Again Gal. 5. 18. He saith But if you be led by the Spirit you are under the Law implying again that those which are for sinning against the Law or the works of the Law either as it is the old Covenant these are under the Law and not under the Covenant of Grace Again Gal. the 3. the 10. Verse there he saith For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse that is they that are under the Law are under the Curse for
mark they that are under the Covenant of Grace are not under the Curse Now there are but two Covenants therefore it must needs be that they that are under the Curse are under the Law seeing those that are under the other Covenant are not under the Curse but under the Blessing So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham but the rest are under the Law Gal. 3. 9. Now I shall proceed to what I do intend to speak unto First I shall shew you what the Covenant of Works or the Law is and when it was first given together with the nature of it Secondly I shall shew you what it is to be under the Law or Covenant of Works and the miserable state of all those that are under it Thirdly I shall shew you who they are that are under this Covenant or Law Fourthly I shall shew you how far a man may go and yet be under this Covenant or Law For the first What this Covenant of Works is and when it was given The Covenant of Works or the Law here spoken of is the Law delivered on Mount Sinai to Moses in two Tables of stone in ten particular branches or heads for this see Gal. 4. The Apostle speaking there of the Law and of some also that through delusions of false Doctrine was brought again as it were under it or at least was leaning that way Verse 21. He saith As for you that desire to be under the Law I will shew you the mystery of Abrahams two Sons which he had by Agar and Sarah these two do signifie the two Covenants the one named Agar signifies Mount Sinai where the Law was delivered to Moses on two Tables of stone Exod. 24. 12. Chap. 34. 1. Deut. 10. 1. Which is that that whosoever is under he is destitute of and altogether without the Grace of Christ in his heart at the present Gal. 5. 3 4. For I testifie again to every man saith he speaking to the same People that Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law namely that given on Mount Sinai Ye are fallen from Grace That is not that any can be justified by the Law but his meaning is all those that seek justification by the Works of the Law they are not such as seek to be under the second Covenant the Covenant of Grace Also the 2 Cor. 3. 7 8. The Apostle speaking again of these two Covenants he saith For if the Ministration of Death or the Law for it is all one written and engraven in stones mark that was glorious how shall not the Ministration of the Spirit or the Covenant of Grace be rather glorious As if he had said 'T is true there was a glory in the Covenant of Works and a very great excellency did appear in it namely in that given in the stones on Sinai yet there is another Covenant the Covenant of Grace that doth exceed it for comfort and glory But secondly Though this Law was delivered to Moses from the hands of Angels in two Tables of Stone on Mount Sinai yet this was not the first appearing of this Law to Man but even this in substance tho possibly not so openly was given to the first Man Adam in the garden of Eden in these words And the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat But of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 16 17. Which Commandment then given to Adam did contain in it a forbidding to do any one of those things that was and is accounted evil although at that time it did not appear so plainly in so many particular heads as it did when it was delivered on Mount Sinai but yet the very same and that I shall prove thus God commanded Adam in Paradise to abstain from all evil against the first Covenant and not from some sins only but if God had not commanded Adam to abstain from the sins spoken against the Ten Commandments he had not commanded to abstain from all but from some therefore it must needs be that he then commanded to abstain from all sins forbidden in the Law given on Mount Sinai Now that God commanded to abstain from all evil or sin against any of the Ten Commandments when he gave Adam the Command in the Garden it is evident in that he did punish the sins that was committed against those Commands that was then delivered on Mount Sinai before they were delivered on Mount Sinai which will appear as followeth The first second and third Commandments were broken by Pharaoh and his men for they had false Gods which the Lord Executed Judgment against as in Exodus 12. 12. and blasphemed their true God Exod. 7. 17. to the end for their Gods could neither deliver themselves nor their people from the hand of God but in the things wherein they dealt proudly he was above them Exod. 18. 11. Again Some judge that the Lord punished the sin against the second Commandment which Jacob was in some measure guilty of in not purging his house from false gods with the defiling of his daughter Dinah Gen. 34. 2. Again We find that Abimelech thought the sin against the third Commandment so great that he required no other security of Abraham against the fear of mischief that might be done to him by Abraham his son and his sons son but only Abraham's Oath Gen. 21. 23. the like we see between Abimelech and Isaac Gen. 31. 53. the like we find in Moses and the Israelites who durst not leave the bones of Joseph in Egypt because of the Oath of the Lord whose Name by so doing would have been abused Exod. 13. 19. And we find the Lord rebuking his People for the breach of the fourth Commandment Exod. 16. 27 28 29. And for the breach of the fifth the Curse came upon Ham Gen. 9. 25 26 27. And Ishmael dishonouring his Father in mocking Isaack was cast out as we read Gen. 21. 9 10. The sons in law of Lot for slighting their Father perish in the overthrow of Sodom Gen. 19. 14 c. The sixth Commandment was broken by Cain and so dreadful a Curse and Punishment came upon him that it made him cry out My Punishment is greater then I can bear Gen. 4. 13. Again when Esau threatned to slay his Brother Rebecca sent him away saying Why should I be deprived of you both in one day hinting unto us that she knew Murther was to be punished with death Gen. 27. 54. Which the Lord himself declared likewise to Noah Gen. 9. 6. Again a notable Example of the Lords Justice in punishing Murther we see in the Egyptians and Pharaoh who drowned the Israelites Children in the River Exod. 1. 22. And they themselves were drowned in the Sea Exod. 14. 27. The sin against the Seventh Commandment
the Law command thee to love the Lord thy God with all thy soul with all thy strength with all thy might c. and can the natural man do this Jer. 13. 23. How can those that are accustomed to do evil do that which is commanded in this particular Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Doth the Law command thee to do good and nothing but good and that with all thy soul heart and delight which the Law as a Covenant of Works called for and can'st thou being Carnal do that But there is no man that hath understanding if he should hear thee say so but would say that thou wast either bewitched or stark mad Sixthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because that though they follow the Law or Covenant of Works I say though they follow it it will not lead them to Heaven no but contrariwise it will lead them under the Curse It is not possible saith Paul that any should be justified by the Law or by our following of it for by that is the knowledge of sin and by it we are condemned for the same which is far from leading us to life being the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3. and again Israel that followeth after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by faith but by the Law and by the Works thereof Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Seventhly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they do not know whether ever they shall have any wages for their work or no they shall have no assurance of the pardon of their sins neither any hopes of eternal life but poor hearts as they are they work for they do not know what even like a poor Horse that works hard all day and at night hath a dirty Stable for his pains so thou mayest work hard all the days of thy life and at the day of death instead of having of a glorious rest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou mayest nay thou shalt have for thy sins the damnation of thy soul and body in Hell to all eternity for as much as I said before that the Law if thou sinnest it doth not take notice of any good work done by thee but takes its advantage to destroy and cut off thy soul for the sin thou hast committed Eighthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they are under that administration upon whose souls God doth not smile they dying there for the administration that God doth smile upon his Children through is the Covenant of Grace they being in Jesus Christ the Lord of life and consolation but contrariwise to those that are under the Law for they have his frowns his rebukes his threatnings and with much severity they must be dealt withal For they break my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord Heb. 8. 9. Ninthly they are in a sad condition because they are out of the faith of Christ they that are under the Law have not the faith of Christ in them for that dispensation which they are under is not the administration of faith The Law is not of faith saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 2. Tenthly because they have not received the Spirit for that is received by the bearing of faith and not by the Law nor the Works thereof Gal. 3. 2. Eleventhly in a word if thou live and die under that Covenant Jesus Christ will neither pray for thee neither let thee have one drop of his Blood to wash away thy sins neither shalt thou be so much as one of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven for all these priviledges come to souls under another Covenant as the Apostle saith For such are not under the Law but under Grace that is such as have a share in the benefits of Jesus Christ or such as are brought from under the first Covenant into the second or from under the Law into the Grace of Christs Gospel without which Covenant of Grace and being found in that there is no soul can have the least hope of eternal life no joy in the holy Ghost no share in the priviledges of Saints because they are tied up from them by the limits and bonds of the Covenant of Works For you must understand that these two Covenants have their several bounds and limitations for the ruling and keeping in subjection or giving of freedom to the parties under the said Covenants now they that are under the Law are within the compass and the jurisdiction of that and are bound to be in subjection to that and living and dying under that they must stand and fall to that as Paul saith To his own master he shall stand or fall The Covenant of Grace doth admit to those that are under it also liberty and freedom together with commanding of subjection to the things contained in it which I shall speak to further hereafter But now that the former things may be further made to appear that is what the sad condition of all them that are under the Law is as I have shewn you something of the nature of the Law so also shall I shew that the Law was added and given for that purpose that it might be so with those that are out of the Covenant of Grace First God did give the Law that sin might abound Rom. 5. 20. not that it should take away sin in any but to discover the sin which is already begotten or that may hereafter be begotten by Lust and Satan I say this is one proper work of the Law to make manifest sin it is sent to find fault with the sinner and it doth also watch that it may so do and it doth take all advantages for the accomplishing of its work in them that give ear thereto or do not give ear if it have the rule over them I say it is like a man that is sent by his Lord to see and pry into the labours and works of other men taking every advantage to discover their infirmities and failings and to chide them yea to throw them out of the Lords favour for the same Secondly Another great end why the Lord did add or give the Law it was that no man might have any thing to lay to the charge of the Lord for his condemning of them that do transgress against the same You know that if a man should be had before an Officer or Judge and there be condemned and yet by no Law he that condemns him might be very well reprehended or reproved for passing the Judgment yea the party himself might have better ground to plead for his liberty than the other to plead for the condemning of him but this shall not be so in the judgment day but contrariwise for then every man shall be forced to lay his hand on his mouth and hold his tongue at the Judgment of God when it is passed
close in with Jesus Christ and would willingly take him upon his own terms only they being muddy in their minds and have not yet attained the understanding of the terms and conditions of the two Covenanss they are kept off from closing with Christ and all is because they see they can do nothing As for example come to some souls and ask them how they do they will tell you presently that they are so bad that it is not to be expressed If you bid them believe in Jesus Christ they will answer that they cannot believe if you ask them why they cannot believe they will answer because their hearts are so hard so dead so dull so backward to good duties and if their hearts were but better if they were more earnest if they could pray better and keep their hearts more from running after sin then they could believe but should they believe with such vile hearts and presume to believe in Christ and be so filthy Now all this is because the Spirit of the Law still ruleth in such a soul and blinds them so that they cannot see the terms of the Gospel To clear this take the substance of the drift of this poor soul which is this If I was better than I think I could believe but being so bad as I am that is the reason that I cannot this is just to do something that I may believe to work that I may have Christ to do the Law that I may have the Gospel or thus to be righteoua that I may come to Christ. O man thou must go quite back again thou must believe because thou canst not pray because thou canst not do thou must believe because there is nothing in thee naturally that is good or desireth after good or else thou wilt never come to Christ as a sinner and if so then Christ will not receive thee and if so then thou mayest see that to keep off from Christ because thou canst not do is to keep from Christ by the Law and to stand of from him because thou canst not buy him Thus having spoken something by the way for the direction of those souls that would come to Christ I shall return to the former discourse wherein ariseth this objection Object But you did but even now put souls upon fulfilling the first condition of the Gospel even to believe in Christ and so be saved but now you say it is alone by Grace without condition and therefore by these words there is first a contradiction to your former sayings and also that men may be saved without the condition of faith which to me seems a very strange thing I desire therefore that you would clear out what you have said as to my satisfaction Answ. Though there be a condition commanded in the Gospel yet he that commands the condition doth not leave his children to their own natural abilities that in their own strength they should fulfill them as the Law doth but the same God that doth command that the condition be fulfilled even he doth help his children by his holy Spirit to fulfill the same condition For it is God that worketh in you mark in you believers both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Thou hast wrought all our works in us and for us Isa. 26. 12. So that the condition be fulfilled it is not done in the ability of the creature But Secondly Faith as it is a gift of God or an act of ours take it which way you will If we speak properly of salvation it is not the first nor the second cause of our salvation but the third and that but instrumentally neither that is it only layeth hold of and applieth to us that which saveth us which is the love of God through the merits of Christ which are the two main causes of our salvation without which all other things are nothing whether it be faith hope love or whatever can be done by us And to this the great Apostle of the Gentiles speaks fully for saith he God who is rich in mercy loved us even when we were dead in our sins Eph. 2. 4. that is when we were without faith and that was the cause why we believe for he thereby hath quickned us together through the meritorious cause which is Christ and so hath saved us by Grace that is of his own voluntary love and good will the effects of which was this he gave us faith to believe in Christ read soberly that second of the Ephesians at the 4 5 6 7 8 verses Faith as the gift of God is not the Saviour as our act doth merit nothing Faith was not the cause that God gave Christ at the first neither is it the cause why God converts men to Christ but faith is a gift bestowed upon us by the gracious God the nature of which is to lay hold on Christ that God afore did give for a Ransom to redeem sinners this faith hath its nourishment and supplies from the same God that at the first did give it and is the only instrument through the Spirit that doth keep the soul in a comfortable frame both to do and suffer for Christ helps the soul to receive comfort from Christ when it can get none from it self beareth up the soul in its progress heaven-wards but that it is the first cause of salvation that I deny or that it is the second I deny but is only the instrument or hand that receiveth the benefits that God hath prepared for thee before thou hadst any faith so that we do nothing for salvation as we are men But if we speak properly it was Gods Grace that moved him to give Christ a Ransom for sinners and the same God with the same Grace that doth give to the soul saith to believe and so by believing to close in with him whom God out of his love and pity did send into the world to save sinners so that all the works of the creature are shut out as to justification and life and men are saved freely by Grace I shall speak no more here but in my discourse upon the second Covenant I shall answer a hell-bred Objection or two to forewarn sinners how they turn the Grace of God into wantonness And thus you see I have briefly spoken to you something touching the Law First What it is and when given Secondly How sad those mens conditions are that are under it Thirdly Who they are that be under it Fourthly How far they may go and what they may do and receive and yet be under it which hath been done by way of answers to several questions for the better satisfaction of those that may stand in doubt of the truth of what hath been delivered Now in the next place I should come to some application of the truth of that which hath been spoken but I shall in the first place speak something to the second Doctrine and then afterwards I shall speak
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
This is now a wrong faith as is evident in that it is placed upon a wrong object for mark this faith is not placed assuredly on Gods grace alone through the blood and merits of Christ being discovered effectually to the soul but upon God through those things that God hath given iâ— as of gifts either to preach or pray or great works or the like which will assuredly come to nought as sure as God is in Heaven if no better faith and ground of faith be found out for thy soul savingly to rest upon As to the second cause of the Objection which runs to this effect God loves men upon the account of their believing I answer that God loves men before they believe he loves them he calls them and gives them faith to believe But God who is rich in grace with his great love wherewith he loved us when when we believed or before even when we were dead in our sins and so far off from believers hath quickned us together with Christ by grace you are saved Eph. 2. 4 5. Now also I suppose that thou wilt say in thy heart I would you would shew us then what is saving faith which thing it may be I may touch upon a while hence in the next thing that I am to speak unto O they that have that are safe indeed The Second Thing THe second Thing that I am to speak unto is this Who they are that are actually brought into this free and unchangable grace and also how they are brought in Answ. Indeed now we are come to the pinch of the whole discourse and if God do but help me to run rightly thorow this as I do verily believe he will I may do thee Reader good and bring glory to my God The Question containeth these two branches First who are brought in Secondly how they are brought in the first is quickly answered Christ Jesus came into the world â—o save sinners Jewish sinners Gentile sinners Old sinners Young sinners great sinners the chiefest of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 14 15. Rom. 5. 7 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Mat. 21. 31. Publicans and Harlots that is Whores and Cheaters Exactors shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven For I came not saith Christ to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Mark 2. 17. A sinner in the Scripture is described in general to be a transgressor of the Law 1 John 3. 4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth the Law for sin is the transgression of the Law But particularly they are described in a more particular way as first such as in whom dwelleth the devil Ephes. 2. 2 3. Secondly such as will do the service of him John 8. 44. Thirdly such as are enemies to God Col. 1. 21. Fourthly such as are 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. 2 Chron. 33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 c. Acts 9. 1 2 3. 1 Tim. 1. 14 15 16. Acts 19. 19. Acts 2. 36 37. Drunkards Whoremasters Liars Perjured Persons Covetous Revilers Extortioners Fornicators Swearers possessed with Devils Thieves Idolaters Witches Sorcerers Conjurers Murderers and the like these be sinners and such sinners that God hath prepared Heaven Happiness Pardon of Sin and an inheritance of God with Christ with Saints with Angels if they do come in and accept of Grace as I might prove at large For Gods grace is so great that if they do come to him by Christ presently all is forgiven them therefore never object that thy sins are too great to be pardoned but come taste and see how good the Lord is to any whosoever comes unto him The second thing is How are these brought into this everlasting Covenant of Grace 2. Answ. When God doth indeed and in truth bring in a sinner into this most blessed Covenant for so it is he usually goeth this way First He slays or kills the party to all things besides himself and his Son Jesus Christ and the comforts of the Spirit For the clearing of this I shall shew you first with what God kills secondly how God kills and thirdly to what God kills those whom he makes alive in Jesus Christ. For the first When God brings sinners into the Covenant of Grace he doth first kill them with the Covenant of Works which is the Moral Law or Ten Commandments This is Pauls Doctrine and also Pauls experience It is his Doctrine where he saith The ministration of death engraven in stones the ministration of condemnation which is the Law in that place called the Letter kills 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. The Letter saith he killeth or the Law or the ministration of death which is another place is called a sound of words Heb. 12. 19. because they have no life 〈◊〉 them but rather death and damnation through our inability to fulfill them Rom. 8. 3. doth kill 2 Cor. 6. Secondly It is his experience where he saith I was alive once that is to my own things Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. without the Law that is before God did strike him dead by it but when the commandment came that is to do and exercise its right Office on me which was to kill me then sin revived and I died and I was killed and the commandment or the Law which was ordained to be unto life I found to be unto death For sin taketh occasion by the commandment deceived me and thereby slew me Rom. 7. 9 10 11. And indeed to speak my own experience together with the experience of all the Saints they can seal with me to this more or less Quest. But how doth God kill with this Law or Covenant Answ. First by opening to the soul the spirituality of it The Law is spiritual saith he but I am carnal sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. Now the spirituality of the Law is discovered this way First by shewing to the soul that every sinful thought is a sin against it I sinner when the Law doth come home indeed upon thy soul in the spirituality of it it will discover such things to thee to be sins that now thou lookest over and regardesâ—â—â— that is a remarkable saying of Paul when he saith Sin revived and I died sin revived saith he as if he had said those things that before I did not value nor regard but looked upon them to be trifles to be dead and forgotten but when the Law was fastened on my soul it did so raise them from the dead call them to mind so muster them before my face and put such strength into them that I was over-mastered by them by the guilt of them Sin revived by the commandment or my sins had mighty strength life and abundance of force upon me because of that insomuch that it killed me Mat. 5. 28. Secondly It sheweth that every such sin deserveth eternal damnation Friends I doubt there be but few of you that have seen the spirituality of the Law of Works but this is one thing in which it discovereth
its Spirituality and this is the proper work of the Law Thirdly God with a discovery of this doth also discover his own Divine and Infinite Justice of which the Law is a description which backs what is discovered by the Law and that by discovering of its Purity and Holiness to be so divine so pure so upright and so far off from winking at the least sin that he doth by that Law without any favour condemn the sinner for that sin Gal. 3. 10. Now when he hath brought the soul into this Premunire into this puzzle Then 2. He sheweth to the soul the nature and condition of the Law as to its dealing with or for bearing of the sinner that hath sinned against it which is to pass an eternal curse upon both soul and body of the party so offending saying to him Cursed be the man that continueth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law to do it for saith the Law this is my proper work First to shew thee thy sins and when I have done that then in the next place to condemn thee for them and that without all remedy as from me or any thing within my bounds for I am not to save any to pardon any nay not to favour any in the least thing that have sinned against me for God did not send me to make alive but to discover sin and to condemn for the same Now so soon as this is presented to the conscience in the next place the Law also by this Law doth shew that now there is no righteous act according to the tenor of that Covenant that can replieve him or take him off from all this horrour and curse that lies upon him because that is not an administration of pardon as I said before to forgive the sin but an administration of damnation because of transgression O the very discovery of this striketh the soul into a deadly swoun even above half dead But when God doth do the work indeed he doth in the next place shew the soul that he is the man that is eternally under this Covenant by nature and that it is thee that hath sinned against this Law and doth by right deserve the curse and displeasure of the same and that all that ever he can do will not give satisfaction to that glorious justice that did give this Law holy actions tears of blood selling all and giving iâ— to the poor or whatever else can be done by thee it comes all short and is all to no purpose Phil. 3. I 'll warrant him he that seeth this it will kill him to that which he was alive unto before though he had a thousand lives Ah sinners sinners were you but sensible indeed of the severity and truth of this it would make you look about you to purpose O how would it make you strive to stop at that 〈◊〉 that now you drink down with delight How many Oaths would it make you bite asunder nay it would make you bite your tongues to think that they should be used as instruments of the Devil to bring your souls into such an unspeakable misery then also we should not have you hang the salvation of your souls upon such slender pinâ— as now you do no no but you would be in another mind then O then we should have you cry out I must have Christ what shall I do for Christ how shall I come at Christ would I was sure truly sure of Christ my soul is gone damned cast away and must for ever burn with the Devils if I do not get precious Jesus Christ. In the next place when God hath done this then he the further shews the soul that Covenant which it is under by nature is distinct from the Covenant of Grace and also they that are under it are by nature without any of the graces which they have that are under the Covenant of Grace As First That it hath no faith John 16. 9. Secondly no hope Eph. 2. 12. Thirdly Nor none of the spirit to work these things first by nature Fourthly Neither will that Covenant give to them any peace with God Fifthly No promise of safeguard from his revenging Law by that Covenant Sixthly But lieth by Nature liable to all the curses and condemnings and thunder-claps of this most fiery Covenant Seventhly That it will accept of no sorrow no repentance no satisfaction as from thee Eighthly That it calls for no less than the shedding of thy blood Ninthly The damnation of thy soul and body Tenthly And if there be any thing prossered to it by thee as to the making of it amends it throws it back again as dirt in thy face slighting all that thou canst bring Now when the soul is brought into this condition then it is indeed dead killed to that to which it was once alive And therefore in the next place to shew you to what it is killed and that is first to sin O it dares not sin it sees hell fire is prepared for them that sin Gods Justice will not spare it if it live in sin the Law will damn it if it live in sin the Devil will have it if it follow its sin O I say it trembles at the very thoughts of sin I if sin do but offer to tempt the soul to draw away the soul from God it cries it sighs it shunneth the very appearance of sin it is odious unto it If God would but serve you thus that love your pleasures you would not make such a trifle of sin as you do Secondly It is killed to the Law of God as it is the Covenant of Works O saith the soul the Law hath killed me to its self I through the Law am dead to the Law Gal. 2. 19. The Law is another thing then I did think it was I thought it would not have been so soul-destroying so damning a Law I thought it would not have been so severe against me for my little sins â—or my playing for my jeasting for my dissembling quarrelling and the like I had some thoughts indeed that it would tew great sinners but let me pass and though it condemned great sinners yet it would pass me by but now would I were free from this Covenant would I were free from this Law I will tell thee that a soul thus worked upon is more afraid of the Covenant of Works then he is of the Devil for he sees it is the Law that doth give him up into his hands for sin and if he was but clear from that he should not greatly need to fear the Devil O now every particular command tears the caul of his heart now every command is as a great gun well charged against his soul now he sees he had as good run into a fire to keep himself from burning as to run to the Law to keep himself from damning and this he sees really I and feels it too to his own sorrow and perplexity Thirdly The soul also
sins of Thousands and Thousands and all at once This also is one means to make souls tender of sin it is the burned child that feareth the fire to make them humble in a sense of their own vileness to make them count every thing that God giveth them a mercy to make much of the least glimpse of the love of God and to prize it above the whole world O sinners were you killed indeed then Heaven would be Heaven and Hell would be Hell indeed but because you are not wrought upon in this manner therefore you count the ways of God as bad as a good man counteth the ways of the devil and the ways of the devil and hell as good as a Saint doth count the ways of God Fourthly Again God is fain to go this way and all to make sinners make sure of Heaven So long as souls are senseless of sin and what a damnable state they are in by nature so long they will even dally with the Kingdom of Heaven and the Salvation of their own poor souls but when God cometh and sheweth them where they are and what is like to become of them if they miss of the Crucified Saviour Oh then saith the soul would I were sure of Jesus what shall I do to get assurance of Jesus And thus is God forced as I may say to whip souls to Jesus Christ they being so secure so senseless and so much their own enemies as not to look out after their own eternal advantage Fifthly A fifth reason why God doth deal thus with sinners it is because he would bring Christ and the Soul together in a right way Christ and Sinners would never come together in a beloved posture they would not so suitably suit each other if they were not brought together this way the sinner being killed O when the sinner is killed and indeed struck dead to every thing below a naked Jesus how suitably then doth the Soul and Christ suit one with another Then here is a naked sinner for a righteous Jesus a poor sinner to a rich Jesus a weak sinner to a strong Jesus a blind sinner to a seeing Jesus an ignorant careless sinner to a wise and careful Jesus O how wise is God in dealing thus with the sinner he strips him of his own knowledge that he may fill him with Christs he killeth him for taking pleasure in sin that he may take pleasure in Jesus Christ c. Sixthly But sixthly God goeth this way with sinners because he would have the glory of their salvation Should not men and women be killed to their own things they would do sacrifice unto them and instead of saying to the Lamb THOU ART WORTHY Rev. 5. 9. Job 40. 14. Rom. 3. 27. Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. they woul say their own arm their own right hand hath saved them but God will cut off boasting from ever entring within the borders of eternal glory for he is resolved to have the glory of the beginning the middle and the end of the contriving and saving and giving salvation to them that enter into the joys of everlasting glory That they may be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorifyed Isa. 61. 3. I might have run thorow many things as to this but I shall pass them and proceed Now Secondly The soul being thus killed to it's self its sins its righteousness faith hope wisdom promises resolutions and the rest of its things which it trusted in by nature In the next place it hath also given unto it a most glorious perfect and never-fading life which is first a life imputed to it yet so really that the very thought of it in the soul hath so much operation and authority especially when the meditation of it is mixed with faith as to make it though condemned by the Law to triumph and to look its enemies in the face with comfort notwithstanding the greatness of the multitude the fierceness of their anger and the continuation of their malice be never so hot against it This imputed life for so it is is the obedience of the Son of God as his righteousness in his suffering arising ascending interceding and so consequently triumphing over all the enemies of the soul and given to me as being wrought on purpose for me So that is is there righteousness in Christ that is mine Is there perfection in that righteousness that is mine did he bleed for sin it was for mine Hath he overcome the Law the Devil and Hell the victory is mine and I am counted the Conqueror Nay more than a conqueror through him that hath loved me and I do count this a most glorious life for by this means it is that I am in the first place proclaimed both in Heaven and Earth guiltless and such a one who as I am in Christ am not a sinner and so not under the Law to be condemned but as holy and righteous as the Son of God himself because he himself is my holiness and righteousness and so likewise having by this all things taken out of the way that would condemn me Sometimes I bless the Lord my soul hath had the life that now I am speaking of not only imputed to me but the very glory of it upon my soul For upon a time when I was under many condemnings of heart and feared because of my sins my soul would miss of eternal glory methought I felt in my soul such a secret motion as this Thy righteousness is in Heaven together with the splendour and shining of the spirit of grace in my soul which gave me to see clearly that my righteousness by which I should be justified from all that could condemn was the Son of God himself in his own person now at the right hand of his Father representing me compleat before the mercy-seat in his own self so that I saw clearly that night and day where ever I was or what ever I was a doing still there was my righteousness just before the eys of divine glory so that the Father could never find fault with me for any insufficiency that was in my righteousness being it was compleat neither could he say where is it because it was continually at his right hand Also at another time having contracted guilt upon my soul and having some distemper of body upon me supposed that death might now so seize upon as to take me away from among men then thought I what shall I do now is all right with my soul have I the right work of God on my soul Answering my self No surely and that because there were so many weaknesses in me yea so many weaknesses in my best duties for thought I how can such a one as I find mercy whose heart is so ready to evil and so backward to that which is good so far as it is natural Thus musing being filled with fear to die these words came in upon my soul Being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ as if God had said Sinner thou thinkest because thou hast had so many infirmities and weaknesses in thy soul whilst thou hast been professing of me therefore now there can be no hopes of mercy but be it known unto thee that it was not any thing done by thee at the first that moved me to have mercy upon thee neither is it any thing that is done by thee now that shall make me either accept or reject thee behold my Son who standeth by me he is righteous he hath fulfilled my Law and given me good satisfaction on him therefore do I look and on thee only as thou art in him and according to what he hath done so will I deal with thee This having stayed my heart and taken off the guilt through the strength of its coming on my soul anon after came in that word as a second testimony He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began And thus is the sinner made alive from the dead being justified by Grace through the righteousness of Christ which is unto all and upon all them that believe according to the Scriptures And the life that I now live it is by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. I lay down my life for my sheep John 10. 10 15. I I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more then being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10 21. That as sin reigneth unto death even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly This life is not only imputed to him that is wrought on by the spirit of Grace that is not only counted his but also there is put into the soul an understanding enlightened on purpose to know the things of God which is Christ and his imputed righteousness 1 John 5. 20. which it never thought of nor understood before 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11. which understanding being enlightened and made to see such things that the soul cannot be contented without it lay hold of and apply Christ unto it self so effectually I say that the soul shall be exceedingly revived in a very heavenly measure with the application of this imputed righteousness for thereby it knoweth it shall find God speaking peace to its self and with a fatherly affection say Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee the righteousness of my Son I bestow upon thee For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the thy flesh I have sent forth my only Son and have condemned thy sins in his flesh Rom. 8. 3. 4. And though thou hast gone astray liste a lost sheep yet on him I have laid thine iniquities and though thou thereby didst undo and break thy self forever yet by his stripes I haue healed thee Thus I say the Lord causeth the soul by faith to apply that which he doth by grace impute unto it for thus every soul more or less is dealt withal the soul being thus inlightned thus quickned thus made alive from that dead state it was in before or at least having the beginnings of this life it hath these several vertuous advantages which they have not that are dead in their sins and trespasses and under the Law First It seeth what a sad condition all men by nature are in they being in that state which it self was in but a while since but now by grace it is a beginning to scrable out of it now it seeth the whole world lieth in wickedness 1 John 5. 19. and so liable to eternal vengeance because of their wickedness Ah friends let me tell you though you may be ignorant of your state and condition yet the poor groaning hungering Saints of God do see what a sad woeful miserable state you are in which sometimes makes them tremble to think of your most lamentable latter end you dying so and also to flie the faster to their Lord Jesus for very fear that they also should be partakers of that most doleful doom and this it hath by vertue of its own experience knowing it self was but a while ago in the same condition under the same condemnation O! there is now a hearty blessing of God that ever he should shew to it its sad condition and that he should incline its heart to seek after a better condition O blessed be the Lord saith the soul that ever he should awaken me stir up me and bring me out of that sad condition that I once with them was in It makes also the soul to wonder to see how foolishly and vainly the rest of its neighbours do spend their precious time that they should be so void of understanding so forgetful of their latter end so senseless of the damning nature of their sins O that their eyes was but inlightned to see whereabouts they are 〈◊〉 surely they would be of another mind then they are now in Now the soul wonders to see what slender pins those poor creatures do hang the stress of the eternal salvation of their souls upon O methinks saith the soul it makes me mourn to see that some should think that they were Born Christians and others that their Baptisme makes them so others depending barely upon a traditional historical faith which will leave their souls in the midst of plerplexity O that they should trust to such fables fancies and wicked slights of the Devil as their good doings their good thinkings their civil walking and living with the world O miserable profession and the end thereof will be a miserable end But now vvhen the soul is thus vvrought upon it must be sure to look for the very gates of hell to be set open against it vvith all their force and might to destroy it Novv hell rageth the devil roareth and all the world resolved do be the best they can to bring the soul again into bondage and ruine Also the soul shall not want enemies even in its own hearts lust as covetousness adultery blasphemy unbelief hardness of heart coldness half-heartedness ignorance with an innumerable company of attendants hanging like so many blocks at its heels ready to sink it into the fire of hell every moment together with strange apprehensions of God and Christ as if now they were absolutely turned to be its enemies which maketh it doubt of the certainty of its salvation For you must understand that though a soul may in reality have the righteousness of the Son of God imputed to it and also some faith in a very strong manner to lay hold upon it yet
inward man a change and through the outward man a change from head to foot as we use to say For he that is in Christ and so in this Covenant of Grace is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. or hath been twice made made and made again O now the soul is resolved for Heaven and Glory now it crieth out Lord if there be a right eye that is offensive to thee pluck it out or a right foot cut it off or a right hand take it from me now the soul doth begin to studdy how it may honour God and bring praise to him Now the soul is for a preparation for the second coming of Christ endeavouring to lay aside every thing that may hinder And for the closing in with those things that may make it in a beloved posture against that day Fifthly And all this is from a Gospel Spirit and not from a Legal natural principle for the soul hath these things as the fruits and effects of its being separated unto the Covenant of Grace and so now possessed with that spirit that doth attend yea and dwell in them that are brought into the Covenâ—nt of Grace from under the Old Covenant I say these things do spring forth in the soul from another root and stock then any of the actings as other men do for the soul that is thus wrought upon is as well dead to the Law and the righteousness thereof as the first Covenant as well as to its sins Sixthly Now the soul begins to have some blessed experience of the things of God even of the glorious mysteries of the Gospel 1. Now it knoweth the meaning of those words My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed John 6. 55. and that by experience for the soul hath received peace of conscience through that blood by the effectual application of it to the soul. First by feeling the guilt of sin dye off from the conscienceâ— by the operation thereof Secondly by feeling the power thereof to take away the curse of the Law Thirdly By finding the very strength of Hell to fail when once the blood of the man Jesus Christ is received in reality upon the soul. 2. Now the soul also knoweth by experience the meaning of that Scripture that saith Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed Rom. 6. 6. Now it sees that when the man Jesus did hang on the tree on Mount Calvary that then the body of its sins was there hanged up dead and buried with him though it was then unborn so as never to be laid to its charge either here or hereafter and also so as never to carry it captive into perpetual bondage being it self overcome by him even Christ the head of that poor creature And indeed this is the way for a soul both to live comfortably as touching the guilt of sin and also as touching the power of the filth of sin for the soul that doth or hath received this indeed and in truth finds strength against them both by and through that man that did for him and the rest of his fellow sinners so gloriously overcome it and hath given the victory unto them so that now they are said to be overcomers nay more than conquerâ—rs through him the one man Jesus Christ Rom. 8. 33 34 35 36 37. 3. Now the soul hath received a â—aith indeed and a lively hope indeed such a one as now it can fetch strength from the fulness of Christ and from the merits of Christ. 4. Yea now the soul can look on it self with one eye and look upon Christ with another and say indeed it is true I am an empty soul but Christ is a full Christ I am a poor sinner but Christ is a rich Christ I am a foolish sinner but Christ is a wise Christ I am an unholy ungodly unsanctified creature in my self But Christ is made of God unto me wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. 5. Now also that fiery Law that it could not once endure nor could not once delight in I say now it can delight in it after the inward man now this Law is its delighe it would always be walked in it and always be delighted in it being offended with any sin or any corruption that would be any ways an hinderance to it Rom. 7. 24 25. And yet it will not edure that even that that Law should offer to take the work of its salvation out of Christs hand no if it once comes to do that then out of doors it shall go if it was as good again For that soul that hath the right work of God indeed upon it cries not my prayers not my tears not my works not my things do they come from the work of the spirit of Christ it self within me yet these shall not have the glory of my salvation no it is none but the blood of Christ the death of Christ of the man Christ Jesus of Nazareth the Carpenters Son as they called him that must have the Crown and Glory of my salvation None but Christ none but Christ and thus the soul labours to give Christ the preeminence Col. 1. 18. Now before I go any further I must needs speak a word from my own experience of the things of Christ and the rather because we have a company of silly ones in this day of ignorance that do either comfort themselves with a notion without the power or else do both reject the notion and the power of this most glorious Gospel therefore for the further conviction of the Reader I shall tell him with David something of what the Lord hath done for my soul and indeed a little of the experience of the things of Christ is far more worth than all the world It would be too tedious for me to tell thee here all from the first to the last but something I shall tell thee that thou mayest not think these things are fables Reader when it pleased the Lord to begin to instruct my soul he found me one of the black sinners of the world he found me making a sport of Oaths and also of Lies and many a soul-poysoning meal did I make out of divers Lusts as Drinking Dancing Playing Pleasure with the wicked ones of the world The Lord finding of me in this condition did open the glass of his Law unto me wherein he shewed me so clearly my sins both the greatness of them and also how abominable they were in his sight that I thought the very clouds were charged with the wrath of God and ready to let fall the very fire of his jealousie upon me yet for all this I was so wedded to my sins that thought I with my self I will have them though I lose my soul O wicked wretch that I was but God the great the rich the infinite merciful God did not take this advantage of my soul to cast me away and say then take
him Devil seeing he cares for me no more no but he followed me still and won upon my heart by giving of me some understanding not only into my miserable state which I was very sensible of but also that there might be hopes of mercy also taking away that love to lust and placing in the room thereof a love to religion and thus the Lord won over my heart to some desire after the means to hear the word and to grow a stranger to my old companions and to accompany the people of God together with giving of me many sweet encouragements from several promises in the Scriptures but after this the Lord did wonderfully set my sins upon my conscience those sins especially that I had committed since the first convictions temptations also followed me very hard and especially such temptations as did tend to the making of me question the very way of salvation viz. whether Jesus Christ was the Saviour or no and whether I had best to venture my soul upon his blood for salvation or take some other course But being through grace kept close with God in some measure in prayer and the rest of the ordinances but went about a year and upwards without any sound evidence as from God to my soul touching the salvation as comes by Jesus Christ. But at the last as I may say when the set time was come then the Lord just before the men called Quaker's came into the Countrey did set me down 〈◊〉 blessedly in the truth of the Doctrine of Jesâ—s Christ that it made me marvail to see first how Jesus Christ was born of a Virgin walked in the world a while with his Disciples afterwards hanged on the Cross spilt his Blood was Buried Rose again Ascended above the Clouds and Heavens their lives to make intercession and that he also will come again at the last day to judge the World and take his Saints unto himself These things I say I did see so evidently even as if I had stood by when he was in the world and also when he was caught up I having such a change as this upon my soul it made me wonder and musing with my self at the great alteration that was in my spirit for the Lord did also very gloriously give me in his precious word to back the discovery of the Son of God unto me so that I can say through grace it was according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4. and as I was musing with my self what these things should mean methought I heard such a word in my heart as this I have set thee down on purpose for I have something more than ordinary for thee to do which made me the more marvel saying What my Lord such a poor wretch as I yet still this continued I have set thee down on purpose and so forth with more fresh incomes of the Lord Jesus and the power of the blood of his Cross upon my soul even so evidently that I saw through grace that it was the blood shed on Mount Calvary that did save and redeem sinners as clearly and as really with the eyes of my soul as ever methoughts I had seen a penny-loaf bought with a penny which things then discovered had such operation upon my soul that I do hope they did sweetly season every faculty thereof Reader I speak in the presence of God and he knows I lye not much of this and such like dealings of his could I tell thee of but my business at this time is not so to do but only to tell what operation the blood of Christ hath had over and upon my conscience and that at several times and also when I have been in several frames of spirit As first sometimes I have been so loaden with my sins that I could not tell where to rest nor what to do yea at such times I thought it would have taken away my senses yet at that time God through grace hath all of a suddenâ— so effectually applied the blood that was spilt at Mount Calvary out of the side of Jesus unto my poor wounded guilty conscience that presently I have found such a sweet solid sober heart comforting peace that it hath made me as if it had not been and withal the same I may say and I ought to say the power of it hath had such a powerful operation upon my soul that I have for a time been in a straight and trouble to think that I should love and honour him no more the vertue of his blood hath so constrained me Again sometimes methinks my sins have appeared so big to me that I thought one of my sins have been as big as all the sins of all the men in the Nation I and of other Nations too Reader these things be not fancies for I have smarted for this experience but yet the least stream of the heart blood of this man Jesus hath vanished all away and hath made it to flie to the astonishment of such a poor sinner and as I said before hath delivered me up into sweet and heavenly peace and joy in the holy Ghost Again sometimes when my heart hath been hard dead slothful blind and senseless which indeed are sad frames for a poor Christian to be in yet at such a time when I have been in such a case then hath the blood of Christ the precious blood of Christ the admirable blood of the God of Heaven that run out of his body when it did hang on the Cross so softned livened quickned and inlightned my soul that truly Reader I can say O it makes me wonder Again when I have been loaden with sin and pâ—stâ—red with several temptations and in very sad manner then have I had the trial of the vertue of Christs blood with the trial of the vertue of other things and I have found that when tears would not do prayers would not do repentings and all other things could not reach my heart O then one touch one drop one shining of the vertue of the blood of that blood that was let out with a spear it hath in a very blessed manner delivered me that it hath made me to marvel O â—methinks it hath come with such life such power with such irresistible and marvellous glory that it wipes off all the slurs silences all the out-cries and quenches all the fiery darts and all the flames of hell fire that are begotten by the charges of the Law Satan and doubtful remembrances of my sinful life Friends as Peter saith to the Church so I say to you I have not preached to you cunningly devised â—ables in telling you of the blood of Christ and what authority it hath had upon my Conscience O no but as Peter saith touching the coming of the Lord Jesus into the world so in some measure I can say of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that was shed when he did come into the world There is not only my single testimony
foundation of the earth searched out then and not till then will I cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done Again I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own Names sake and will not remember thy sins Isa. 43. 25. I will make thee a Partaker of my Promise and that I may so do I will take away that which would hinder I will cast all your sins into the depths of the sea that my promise may be sure to all the seed And therefore saith the Apostle when he would shew us that the New Covenant promises was more sure then the Old he tells us plainly that the Law and Works are set aside and they are meerly made ours through the righteousness of faith which is the righteousness of Christ. For the promise that Abraham should be heir of the world saith he was not to him or to his seed through the Law or Works but through the righteousness of faith For if they which are of the Law or of Works be heirs then â—aith is made void and the promise made of none effect Therefore it is of â—aith to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 13 14 16. Secondly surer because that as that is taken away that should hinder so they are committed to a faithful friend of ours in keeping For all the promises of God are in Christ not yea yea and nay but yea and amen certain and sure sure because they are in the hand of our head our friend our brother our husband our flesh and bones even in the heart and hand of our precious Jesus Thirdly Because all the conditions of them are already fulfilled for us by Jesus Christ as aforesaid every promise that is a New Covenant promise if there be any condition in it our undertaker hath accomplished that for us and also giveth us such grace as to receive the sweetness as doth spring from them through his obedience to every thing required in them Fourthly surer because that as they are grounded upon the love of God every thing taken out of the way in the hand of a sure friend And as Christ hath fulfilled every condition as to justification that is contained therein so the Lord hath solemnly sworn with an oath for our better confidence in this particular For when God made promise to Abraham and so to all Saints because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself saying Surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee and so after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise For men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife that there might be no more doubt or scruple concerning the certain fulfilling of the promise wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel or certain constant unchangeable decree of God in making of the promise for the comfort of his children confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things his promise back'd with an Oath wherein it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6. 13 14. 15 16 17 18. Fifthly That they are better it appears also in that they are freer and fuller that they are freer it is evident in that the one saith no works no life Do this and then thou shalt live if not thou shalt be damned But the other saith we are saved by believing in what another hath done without the works of the Law Now to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Rom. 4 4 5. The one saith pay me that thou owest the other saith I do frankly and freely forgive thee all The one saith because thou hast sinned thou shalt die the other saith because Christ lives thou shalt live also John 15 Secondly And as they are freer so they are fuller fuller of encouragement fuller of comfort the one to wit the Law looks like Pharaohs seven ill favoured kâ—â—e more ready to eat one up then to afford us any food The other is like the full grape in the cluster which for certain hath a glorious blessing in it The one saith if thou hast sinned turn again the other saith if thou hast sinned thou shalt be damned for all I have a promise in me Thirdly They that are of the second are better then they that are of the first and it also appeareth in this The promises of the Law through them we have neither faith nor hope nor the Spirit conveyed But through the promises of the Gospel there is all these 1 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might be partakers of the Divine nature O therefore let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Heb. 10. 23. In hope of eternal life who so because God that cannot lie promised it before the world began Tit. 1. 2. Fourthly They that are in this Covenant are in a very happy state for though there be several conditions in the Gospel to be done yet Christ Jesus doth not look that they should be done by man as man but by his own Spirit in them as it is written Thou hast wrought all our works in us and for us Is there that condition they must believe why then he will be both the Author and finisher of their faith Heb. 12. 2 3. Is there also hope to be in his Children he also doth and hath given them good hope through his grace 2 Thes. 2. 26. Again are the people of God to behave themselves to the glory of God the Father Theâ— he will work in them both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Fifthly Again as he works all our works in us and for us so also by vertue of this Covenant we have another nature given unto us Whereby or by which we are made willing to be glorifying of God both in our bodies and in our spirits which are his Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power 2 Cor. 6. 20. Psal. 110. 3. Sixthly In the next place all those that are under this second Covenant are in a wonderful safe condition For in case they should slip or fall after their conversion into some sin or sins for who lives and sins not Prov. 24. 16. yet through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus who is their undertaker in this Covenant they shall have their sins pardoned their wounds healed and they raised up again which priviledge the children of the first Covenant have not for if they sin they are never afterwards regarded by that Covenant They break my Covenant and I regarded them not Heb. 8. 9. But when he comes to speak of the
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
thou must believe that in the days of Tibereas Caesar when Herod was Tetrarch of Galilee and Pontius Pilate Governour of Judea that in those days he was crucified or hanged on a tree between two Thieves which by computation or according to the best account is above sixteen hundred years since Thirdly thou must also believe that when he did hang upon that Cross of Wood on the Mount Calvary that then he did dye there for the sins of those that did dye before he was Crucified also for their sins that were alive at the time of his Crucifying and also that he did by that one death give satisfaction to God for all those that should be born and believe in him after his death even unto the Worlds end I say this thou must believe upon pain of eternal Damnation that by that one death that when he did dye he did put an end to the curse of the Law and Sin and at that time by his death on the Cross and by his Resurrection out of Joseph's Sepulchre he did bring in a sufficient Righteousness to clothe thee withall compleatly For by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified not that he should often offer himself for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the World but now ONCE in the end of the World hath he appeared to put or do away Sin by the sacrifice of himself Namely when he hanged on the Cross. For it is by the offering up of the Body of this blessed Jesus Christ ONCE for all Indeed other Priests may offer oftentimes Sacrifices and Offerings which can never take away Sins but this Man this Jesus this annointed and appointed sacrifice when he had offered ONE sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God But because thou in thy pursuit after the faith of the Gospel wilt be sure to meet with devils hereticks particular corruptions as unbelief ignorance the spirit works animated on by suggestions false conclusions with damnable doctrines I shall therefore briefly besides what hath been already said speak a word or two more before I leave thee of further advice especially concerning these two things First How thou art to conceive of the Saviour Secondly How thou art to make application of him First For the Saviour thou must look upon him to be very God and very Man not man only nor God only but God and Man in one Person both natures joyned together for the putting of him in a capacity to be a suitable Saviour suitable I say to answer both sides and parties with whom he hath to do in the office of his Mediatorship and being as a Saviour Secondly Thou must not only do this but thou must also consider and believe that even what was done by Jesus Christ it was not done by one nature without the other but thou must consider that both natures both the God-head and the man-hood did gloriously concur and joyn together in the undertaking of the Salvation of our Bodies and Souls not that the God-head undertook any thing without the Man-hood neither did the Man-hood do any thing without the Vertue and Union of the God head and thou must of Necessity do this otherwise thou canst not find any sound ground and footing for thy Soul to rest upon For if thou look upon any of these asunder that is to say the God-head without the Man-hood or the Man-hood without the God-head thou wilt conclude that what was done by the God-head was not done for man being done without the Man-hood or else that that which was done with the Man-hood could not answer Divine Justice in not doing what it did by the Vertue and in Union with the God-head for it was the God-head that gave Vertue and Value to the suffering of the Man-hood and the Man-hood being joyned therewith that giveth us an interest into the heavenly glory and comforts of the God-head What ground can a man have to believe that Christ is his Saviour if he do not believe that he suffered for Sin in his Nature And what ground also can a man have to think that God the Father is satisfied being infinite if he believe not also that he who gave the satisfaction was equal to him who was offended Therefore Beloved when you read of the offering of the Body of the Son of Man for our Sins then Consider that he did it in Union with and by the help of the eternal God-head How much more shalâ— the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works c. And when thou readest of the glorious Works and â—plendour of the God-head in Christ theâ—â— consider that all that was done by the God-head it was done as it had union and communion with the Man-hood And then thou shalt see that the Devil is overcome by God-man Sin Death Hell the Grave and all overcome by Jesus God-man and then thou shalt find them overcome indeed They must needâ—â—e overcome when God doth overcome them and we have good ground to hope the Victory is ours when in our Nature they are overcome 2. The second thing is how to apply or to make application of this Christ to the Soul And for this there is to be considered the following particulars First that when Jesus Christ did thus appear being born of Mary he was looked upon by the Father as if the sin of the whole World was upon him â—ay further God did look upon him and account him the Sin of Man He hath made him to be Sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. That â—â—is God made his Son Jesus Christ our Sin or reckoned him to be not only a Sinner but the very bulk of Sin of the whole World and condemned him so severely as if he had been nothing but Sin For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the flesh That is for our Sins condemned his Son Jesus Christ as if he had indeed and in truth been our very Sin and yet altogether without Sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 8. 3. Therefore as to the taking away of thy Curse thou must reckon him to be made Sin for thee And as to his being thy Justification thou must reckon him to be thy Righteousness for saith the Scripture He that is God hath made HIM to be SIN for us though he knew no Sin that WE might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in HIM Secondly Consider for whose sakeâ— all this glorious design of the Father and the Son was brought to pass and that you shall find to be for Man for sinful Man 2 Cor. 8. 9. Thirdly The terms on which it is made ours and that you will find to be a free gift meerly arising from the tender-heartedness of God You are justified freely by his
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
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
Man for being their Lord and Saviour and in that it is called the Sin against the holy Ghost It is a Name most fit for this Sin to be called the Sin against the Holy Ghost for these Reasons but now laid down for this Sin is immediately committed against the Motions and Convictions and Light of that Holy Spirit of God that makes it its business to hand forth and manifest the Truth and Reality of the Merits and Vertues of the Lord Jesus the Son of Man And therefore beware Ranters and Quakers for I am sure you are the nearest that Sin by profession which is indeed the right committing of it of any Persons that I do know at this day under the whole Heavens for as much as you will not venture the Salvation of your Souls on the Blood shed on Mount Calvary Luke 23. 33. out of the side of that Man that was offered up in Sacrifice for all that did believe in that his offering up of his Body at that time either before he offered it or that have do or shall believe on it for the time since together with that time that he offered it though formerly you did profess that Salvation was wrought out that way by that Sacrifice then offered and also seemed to have some comfort thereby yea insomuch that some of you declared the same in the hearing of many professing your selves to be believers of the same O therefore it is sad for you that were once thus enlightned and have tasted these good things and yet notwithstanding all your Profession you are now turned from the simplicity that is in Christ to another Doctrine which will be to your destruction if you continue in it for without Blood there is no Remission Heb. 9. 22. Many other Reasons might be given but that I would not be too tedious yet I would put in this Caution that if there be any Souls that be but now willing to venture their Salvation upon the Merits of a Naked Jesus I do verily for the present believe they have not sinned that Sin because there is still a promise holds forth it self to such a Soul where Christ saith He that comes to me I will in no wise for nothing that he hath done cast him out John 6. 36. That promise is worthy to be written in Letters of Gold Object But alas though I should never sin that Sin yet I have other sins enough to Damn me Answ. What though thou had'st the sins of a thousand Sinners yet if thou come to Christ he will save thee Joh. 6. 36. see also Heb. 7. 25. Object Alas but how should I come I doubt I do not come as I should do my Heart is naught and dead and alas then how should I come Answ. Why bethink thy self of all the sins that ever thou did'st commit and lay the weight of them all upon thy Heart till thou art down loaden with the same and come to him in such a Case as this and he will give thee rest for thy Soul Mat. 11. the three last Verses And again if thou wouldest know how thou shouldest come come as much undervaluing thy self as ever thou canst saying Lord here is a Sinner the basest in all the Country if I had my deserts I had been damned in Hell Fire long ago Lord I am not worthy to have the least corner in the Kingdom of Heaven and yet O that thou wouldest have Mercy Come like Benhadad's Servants to the King of Israel 1 Kin. 20. 31 32. with a Rope about thy Neck and fling thy self down at Christ's feet and lye there a while striving with him by thy Prayers and I 'll warrant thee speed Mat. 11. 28 29 30. John 6. 37. Object O! but I am not sanctified Answ. He will sanctifie thee and be made thy Sanctification also 1 Cor. 6. 10 11. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Object O! but I cannot Pray Answ. To Pray is not for thee to down on thy Knees and say over a many Scripture words only for that thou may'st do and yet do nothing but babble But if thou from a sense of thy baseness canst groan out thy Hearts desire before the Lord he will hear thee and grant thy desire for he can tell what is the meaning of the groanings of the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 27. Object O but I am afraid to Pray for fear my Prayers should be counted as sin in the sight of the great God Answ. That is a good sign that thy Prayers are more than bare words and have some prevalence at the Throne of Grace through Christ Jesus or else the Devil would never seek to labour to beat thee off from Prayer by undervaluing thy Prayers telling thee they are Sin for the best Prayers he will call the worst and the worst he will call the best or else how should he be a Liar Object But I am afraid the day of Grace is past and if it should be so what should I do then Answ. Truly with some men indeed it doth fare thus that the day of Grace is at an end before their Lives are at an end Or thus the day of Grace is past before the day of Death is come as Christ saith If thou had'st known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy Peace that is the word of Grace or Reconciliation but now it is hid from thine Eyes Luke 19. 41 42. But for the better satisfying of thee as touching this thing Consider these following things First doth the Lord knock still at the door of thy Heart by his Word and Spirit If so then the day of Grace is not past with thy Soul for where he doth so knock there he doth also proffer and promise to come in and Sup that is to Communicate of his things unto them which he would not do was the day of Grace past with the Soul Rev. 3. 20. But how should I know whether Christ do so knock at my heart as to be desirous to come in That I may know also whether the day of Grace be past with me or no Consider these things First doth the Lord make thee sensible of thy miserable state without an interest in Jesus Christ and that naturally thou hast no share in him no faith in him no communion with him no delight in him or love in the least to him If he hath and is doing of this he hath and is knocking at thy Heart Secondly doth he together with this put into thy Heart an earnest desire after communion with him together with holy Resolutions not to be satisfied without real communion with him Thirdly doth he sometimes give thee some secret persuasions though not scarcely discernable that thou mayest attain and get an interest in him Fourthly doth he now and then glance in some of the promises into thy Heart causing them to leave some heavenly savour though but for a very short time on thy Spirit Fifthly dost thou at some time see some
not good to take the Testimony of the Spirit as thou supposest thou hast from the fruits thereof so as to conclude the Testimony thou hast received to be a sufficient ground without the other not that it is not if it be the Testimony of the Spirit but because the Devil doth also deceive Souls by the workings of his Spirit in them pretending that it is the Spirit of God And again thou shouldest not satisfie thy self though thou do find some seekings in thee after that which is good without the testimony of the other that is to say of the Spirit for it is the Testimony of two that is to be taken for truth Therefore say I as thou shouldest be much in praying for the Spirit to testifie assurance to thee so also thou shouldest look to the end of it when thou thinkest thou hast it which is this to shew thee that it is alone for Christs sake that thy sins are forgiven thee and also thereby a constraining of thee to advance him both by Words and Works in Holiness and righteousness all the Dayes of thy Life From hence thou mayest boldly conclude thy Election 1 Thes. 3 4 5 6. Remembring without ceasing your Work of Faith and Labour of Love and Patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father Knowing Brethren saith the Apostle beloved your Election of God But how why by this For our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with Joy of the Holy Ghost So that you were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia And to wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which hath delivered us from the wrath to come ver 10. Object But alas for my part instead of finding in me any thing that is good I find in me all manner of Wickedness Hard-heartedness Hypocrisie coldness of Affection to Christ very great unbelief together with every thing that is Base and of an ill Savour What hope therefore can I have Answ. If thou wast not such a one thou hadst no need of Mercy If thou wast whole thou hadst no need of the Physician doest thou therefore see thy self in such a sad Condition as this Thou hast the more need to come to Christ that thou mayest be not only cleansed from these Evils but also that thou mayest be delivered from that Wrath they will bring upon thee if thou do not get rid of them to all Eternity Quest. But how should I do and what course should I take to be delivered from this sad and troublesome Condition Answ. Dost thou see in thee all manner of Wickedness The best way that I can direct a Soul in such a case is to pitch a stedfast Eye on him that is full and to look so stedfastly upon him by Faith that thereby thou mayest even draw down of his fulness into thy Heart for that is the right way and the way that was typed out before Christ came in the Flesh in the time of Moses when the Lord said unto him Make thee a Serpent of Brass which was a Type of Christ and set it upon a Pole and it shall come to pass that when a Serpent hath bitten any Man that he may look thereon and live Numb 21. 8. Even so now in Gospel times when any Soul is bitten with the fiery Serpents their Sins that then the next way to be healed is for the Soul to look upon the Son of Man who as the Serpent was was hanged on a Pole or Tree that whosoever shall indeed look on him by Faith may be healed of all their Distempers whatsoever John 3. 14 15. As now to instance in some things First is thy Heart hard why then behold how full of Bowels and Compassion is the Heart of Christ towards thee which may be seen in his coming down from Heaven to spill his Heart-Blood for thee 2. Is thy Heart slothful and idle then see how active the Lord Jesus is for thee in that he did not only die for thee but also in that he hath been ever since his Ascension into Heaven making Intercession for thee Heb. 7. 25. 3. Dost thou see and find in thee Iniquity and Unrighteousness Then look up to Heaven and see there a Righteous Person even thy righteous Jesus Christ now presenting thee in his own Perfections before the Throne of his Fathers Glory 1 Cor. 1. 30. 4. Dost thou see that thou art very much void of right Sanctification then look up and thou shalt see that thy Sanctification is in the presence of God a compleat Sanctification representing all the Saints as Righteous so sanctified ones in the Presence of the great God of Heaven And so whatsoever thou wantest be sure to strive to pitch thy Faith upon the Son of God and behold him stedfastly and thou shalt by so doing find a mighty change in thy Soul For when we behold him as in a Glass even the Glory of the Lord we are changed namely by beholding from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. This is the true way to get both Comfort to thy Soul and also Sanctification and right Holiness into thy Soul Poor Souls that are under the Distemper of a guilty Conscience and under the workings of much Corruption do not go the nearest way to Heaven if they do not in the first place look upon themselves as cursed Sinners by the Law and yet at that time they are blessed for ever blessed Saints by the Merits of Jesus Christ. O wretched Man that I am saith Paul and yet O blessed Man that I am through my Lord Jesus Christ for that is the Scope of the Scripture Rom. 7. 24 25. Object But alas I am blind and cannot see what shall I do now Answ. Why truly thou must go to him that can make the Eyes that are blind to see even to our Lord Jesus by Prayer saying as the poor blind Man did Lord that I might receive my Sight and so continue begging with him till thou do receive Sight even a sight of Jesus Christ his Death Blood Resurrection Ascension Intercession and that for thee even for thee And the rather because first he hath invited thee to come and buy such Eye-salve of him that may make thee see Rev. 3 18. Secondly because thou shalt never have any true comfort till thou dost thus come to see and behold the Lamb of God that hath taken away thy Sins John 1. 29. Thirdly because that thereby thou wilt be able through Grace to step over and turn aside from the several stumbling-blocks that Satan together with his Instruments hath laid in our way which otherwise thou wilt not be able to shun but wilt certainly fall when others stand and grope and stumble when
that is by a final knowing wilful malicious trampling under foot the Blood of Christ which was shed on Mount Calvary when Jesus was there crucified And though it be called the Sin against the Spirit yet as I said before every Sin against the Spirit is not that for if it was then every Sin against the Light and Convictions of the Spirit would be unpardonable but that is an evident untruth for these Reasons First because there be those who have sinned against the movings of the Spirit and that knowingly too and yet did not commit that As Jonah who when God had expresly by his Spirit bid him go to Nineveh he runs thereupon quite another way Secondly because the very People that have sinned against the movings of the Spirit are yet if they do return received to Mercy Witness also Jonah who though he had sinned against the movings of the Spirit of the Lord in doing contrary thereunto Yet when he called as he saith to the Lord out of the Belly of Hell the Lord heard him and gave him deliverance and set him again about his work Read the whole story of that Prophet 2 Answ. But secondly I shall shew you that it must needs be wilfully knowingly and a malicious rejecting of the man Christ Jesus as the Saviour That is counting his Blood his Righteousness his Intercession in his own Person for he that rejects one rejects all to be of no value as to salvation I say this I shall shew you is the unpardonable Sin And then afterwards in brief shew you why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost First That man that doth reject as aforesaid the Blood Death Righteousness Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of the man Christ doth reject that Sacrifice that Blood that Righteousness that Victory that Rest that God alone hath appointed for Salvation John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb or sacrifice of God We have Redemption through his Blood Ephes. 1. 7. That I may be found in him to wit in Christs Righteousness with Christs own personal obedience to his Fathers Will Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. By his Resurrection comes Justification Rom. 4. 25. His Intercession now in his own Person in the Heavens now absent from his Saints is the cause of the Saints Perseverance 2 Cor. 6 7 8. also Rom. 8. 33 34 35 36 c. Secondly They that reject this Sacrifice and the Merits of this Christ which he by himself hath brought in for Sinners hath rejected him through whom alone all the Promises of the New Testament together with all the Mercy discovered thereby doth come unto poor Creatures For all the promises in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God 2 Cor. 1. 20. And all spiritual Blessings are made over to us through him Ephes. 1. 3 4. That is through and in this Man which is Christ we have all our spiritual Heavenly and eternal Mercies Thirdly He that doth knowingly wilfully and despitefully reject this man for Salvation doth sin the unpardonable Sin because there is never another sacrifice to be offered Heb. 10. 26. There is no more offering for Sin there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin Heb. 10. 18. namely than the offering of the body of Jesus Christ a Sacrifice once for all Heb. 10. ver 10. and 14. compared with ver 18. and 26. No but they that shall after light and clear conviction reject the first offering of his Body for Salvation do Crucifie him the second time which irrecoverably merits their own Damnation For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come If they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance seeing they Gruâ—â—fiâ— to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open Shame If they fall away to renew them again unto Repentance And why so seeing saith the Apostle they do crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and do put him to open shame O then how miserably hath the Devil deceived some In that he hath got them to reject the merits of the first offering of the Body of Christ which was for Salvation and got them to trust in a fresh Crucifying of Christ which unavoidably brings their speedy Damnation Fourthly they that do reject this Man as aforesaid do sin the unpardonable Sin because in rejecting him they do make way for the Justice of God to break out upon them and to handle them as it shall find them which will be in the first place Sinners against the first Covenant which is the Soul-damning Covenant and also despising of even the Life and Glory and Consolations Pardon Grace and Love that is discovered in the second Covenant forasmuch as they reject the Mediator and Priest of the same which is the Man Jesus And the Man that doth so I would fain see how his Sins should be pardoned and his Soul saved seeing the means which is the Son of Man the Son of Mary and his Merits is rejected For saith he If you believe not that I am he you shall mark you shall do what you can you shall appear where you can you shall follow Moses Law or any holiness whatsoever you shall dye in your Sins Joh. 8. 24. So that I say the Sin that is called the unpardonable Sin is a knowing wilful and despiteful rejecting of the sacrificing of the Son of Man the first time for Sin And now to shew you why it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost as in these Scriptures Mat. 12. Heb. 10. Mark 3. First Because they Sin against the manifest light of the Spirit as I said before it is a Sin against the light of the Spirit That is they have been formerly enlightened into the nature of the Gospel and the Merits of the Man Christ and his Blood Righteousness Intercession c. And also professed and confessed the same with some life and comfort in and through the profession of him Yet now against all that Light maliciously and with despite to all their former Profession turn their backs and trample upon the same Secondly It is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost because such a Person doth as I may say lay violent hands on it one that sets himself in opposition to and is resolved to resist all the motions that do come in from the Spirit to persuade the contrary For I do verily believe that men in this very rejecting of the Son of God after some knowledge of him especially at their first resisting and refusing of him they have certain motions of the Spirit of God to disswade them from so great a Soul-damning Act. But they being filled with an over-powering measure of the Spirit of the Devil do do despite unto these Convictions and Motions by studying and contriving how they may answer them and get from under
little Excellency in Christ and doth all this stir up in thy Heart some breathings after him If so then fear not the Day of Grace is not past with thy poor Soul for if the day of Grace should be past with such a Soul as this then that Scripture must be broken where Christ saith He that cometh unto me I will in no wise for no thing by no means upon no terms whatsoever cast out John 6. 37. Object But surely if the day of Grace was not past with me I should not be so long without an answer of Gods love to my Soul that therefore doth make me mistrust my state the more is that I wait and wait and yet am not delivered Answ. Hast thou waited on the Lord so long as the Lord hath waited on thee it may be the Lord hath waited on thee this twenty or thirty yea forty years or more and thou hast not waited on him seven years cast this into thy Mind therefore when Satan tells thee that God doth not love thee because thou hast waited so long without an assurance for it is his temptation for God did wait longer upon thee and was fain to send to thee by his Ambassadors time after time And therefore say thou I will wait to see what the Lord will say unto me and the rather because he will speak Peace for he is the Lord thereof But secondly Know that it is not thy being under trouble a long time that will be an Argument sufficient to prove that thou art past hopes Nay contrariwise for Jesus Christ did take our Nature upon him and also did undertake deliverance for those and bring it in for them who were all their Life Time subject to Bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. Object But alas I am not able to wait all my Strength is gone I have waited so long I can wait no longer Answ. It may be thou hast concluded on this long ago thinking thou shouldest not be able to hold out any longer no not a year a month or a week nay it may be not so long It may be in the morning thou hast thought thou shouldest not hold out till night and at night till morning again yet the Lord hath supported thee and kept thee in waiting upon him many Weeks and Years therefore that is but the Temptation of the Devil to make thee think so that he might drive thee to despair of Gods Mercy and so to leave off following the ways of God and to close in with thy Sins again O therefore do not give way unto it but believe that thou shalt see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart wait I say on the Lord Psal. 27. 23 24. And that thou mayest so do consider these things First If thou after thou hast waited thus long shouldest now give over and wait no longer thou wouldest lose all thy time and pains that thou hast taken in the way of God hitherto and wilt be like to a man that because he sought long for Gold and did not find it therefore turned back from seeking after it though he was hard by it and had almost found it and all because he was loth to look and seek a little further Secondly Thou wilt not only lose thy time but also lose thy own Soul for Salvation is no where else but in Jesus Christ Acts 4. 12. Thirdly Thou wilt sin the highest sin that ever thou didst sin before in drawing finally back insomuch that God may say my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. But secondly consider thou sayest all my strength is gone and therefore how should I wait why at that time when thou feelest and findest thy strength quite gone even that is the time when the Lord will renew and give thee fresh strength The youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with Wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint Isa. 40. 30 31. Object But though I do wait yet if I be not elected to eternal Life what good will all my waiting do me For it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy Therefore I say if I should not be elected all is in vain 1 Answ. Why in the first place to be sure thy backsliding from God will not prove thy election neither thy growing weary of waiting upon God 2 Answ. But secondly Thou art it may be troubled to know whether thou art elected And sayest thou if I did but know that that would encourage me in my waiting on God Answ. I believe thee but mark thou shalt not know thy election in the first place but in the second That is to say thou must first get acquaintance with God in Christ which doth come by thy giving credit to his Promises and Records which he hath given of Jesus Christ his Blood and Righttousness together with the rest of his Merits That is before thou canst know whether thou art elected thou must believe in Jesus Christ so really that thy faith laying hold of and drinking and eating the Flesh and Blood of Christ even so that there shall be life begotten in thy Soul by the same Life from the condemnings of the Law Life from the guilt of Sin Life over the filth of the same Life also to walk with God in his Son and wayes the Life of Love to God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son Saints and Wayes and that because they are Holy Harmless and such that are altogether contrary to Iniquity For these things must be in thy Soul as a forerunner of thy being made acquainted with the other God hath these two ways to shew to his Children their election First by Testimony of the Spirit That is the Soul being under trouble of Conscience and grieved for Sin the Spirit doth seal up the Soul by its comfortable Testimony perswading of the Soul that God for Christs sake hath forgiven all those Sins that lye so heavy on the Conscieâ—ce and that do so much perplex the Soul by shewing it that that Law which doth utter such horrible curses against it is by Christs Blood satisfied and fulfilled Eph. 1. 13 14. Secondly By consequence that is the Soul finding that God hath been good unto it in that he hath shewed it its lost state and miserable condition and also that he hath given it some comfortable hope that he will save it from the same I say the Soul from a right sight thereof doth or may draw this conclusion that if God had not been minded to have saved it he would not have done for it such things as these But for the more surer dealing with thy Soul it is not good to take any of these apart that is it is