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
I could that God would accept of me and have mercy upon me as he had on others Ah friends this is the cause of the ruine of thousands for if they are blinded to this both the right use of the Law and also of the Gospel is hid from their eyes and so for certain they will be in danger of perishing most miserably poor souls that they are unless God of his meer mercy and love doth rend the vail from off their hearts the vail of ignorance for that is it which doth keep these poor souls in this besetted and blindfolded condition in which if they dye they may be lamented for but not helped they may be pittied but not preserved from the stroak of Gods everlasting vengeance In the next place if you would indeed be delivered from the first into the second Covenant I do admonish you to the observing of these following particulars First Have a care that you do not content your selves though you do good works that is which in themselves are good in and with a Legal Spirit which are done these ways as followeth First If you do any thing commanded in Scripture and in your doing of it do think that God is well pleased therewith because you as you are religious men do do the same upon this mistake was Paul himself in danger of being destroyed for he thought because he was zealous and one of the strictest sect for Religion therefore God would have been good unto him and have accepted his doings as it is clear for he counted them his gain Philipians 3. 4 5 6 7 8. Now this is done thus When a man doth think that because he thinks he is more sincere more liberal with more difficulty or to the weakning of his estate I say if a man because of this doth think that God accepteth his labour it is done from an Old Covenant Spirit Again Some men they think that they shall be heard because they have prayer in their families because they can pray long and speak expressions or express themselves excellently in prayer that because they have great enlargements in prayer I say that therefore to think that God doth delight in their doings and accept their works this is from a Legal Spirit Again Some men think that because their Parents have been religious before them and have been indeed the people of God they think if they also do as to the outward observing of that which they learned from their fore-runners that therefore God doth accept them but this also is from a wrong spirit and yet how many are there in England at this day that think the better of themselves meerly upon that account I and think the people of God ought to think so too not understanding that it is ordinary for an Eli to have an Hophni and a Phinâ—has both sons of Belial Also a good Samuel to have a perverse off-spring likewise David an Absalom I say their being ignorant of or else negligent in regarding this they do think that because they do spring from such and such as the Jews in their generations did that therefore they have a priviledge with God more than others when there is no such thing John 8 33 34 35. Mat. 3. 7 8 9. but for certain if the same faith be not in them which was in their fore-runners to lay hold of the Christ of God in the same spirit as they did they must utterly perish for all their high conceits that they have of themselves Secondly When People come into the presence of God without having their eye upon their Divine Majesty through the flesh and blood of the Son of Mary the Son of God then also do they come before God and do whatsoever they do from a Legal Spirit an old Covenant Spirit As for instance you have some people 't is true they will go to Prayer in appearance very fervently and will plead very hard with God that he would grant them their desires pleading their want and the abundance thereof they will also plead with God his great mercy and also his free promises but yet they neglecting the aforesaid Body or Person of Christ the righteous Lamb of God to appear before him in I say in thus doing they do not appear before the Lord no otherwayes then in an old Covenant Spirit for they go to God only as a merciful Creator and they themselves as his Creatures not as he is their Father in the Son and they his children by Regeneration through the Lord Jesus I and though they may call God their Father in the Notion not knowing what they say only having learned such things by tradition as the Pharisees did yet Christ will have his time to say to them even to their faces as he did once to the Jews Your father for all this your profession is the Devil to their own grief and everlasting misery John 8. 44. The third thing that is to be observed if we would not be under the Law or do things in a Legal Spirit is this to have a care that we do none of the works of the holy Law of God for life or acceptance with him no nor of the Gospel neither To do the works of the Law to the end we may be accepted of God or that we may please him and to have our desires of him is to do things from a Legal or old Covenant-Spirit and that is expresly laid down where it is said To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt that is he appears before God through the Law and his obedience to it Rom. 4. 4 5. And again though they be in themselves Gospel-Ordinances as baptism breaking of bread hearing praying meditating or the like yet I say if they be not done in a right Spirit they are thereby used as a hand by the Devil to pull thee under the Covenant of Works as in former times he used circumcision which was no part of the Covenant of Works the ten Commands but a Seal of the righteousness of Faith yet I say they being done in a Legal Spirit the Soul was thereby brought under the Covenant of Works and so most miserably destroyed unawares to it self and that because there was not a right understanding of the nature and terms of the said Covenants And so it is now Souls being ignorant of the nature of the old Covenant do even by their subjecting to several Gospel-ordinances run themselves under the old Covenant and fly off from Christ even when they think they are a coming closer to him O miserable If you would know when or how this is done whether in one particular or more I shall shew you as followeth 1. That man doth bring himself under the Covenant of Works by Gospel-Ordinances when he cannot be persuaded that God will have mercy upon him except he do yield obedience to such or such a particular thing commanded in the Word this is the very same spirit that was in
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
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
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
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—
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
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
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
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
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
33 34 35 36 37 38 39. But Secondly Do you think that there was no change in the five foolish Virgins spoken of in Mat. 25. 1 2 3. Yes there was such a change in them very people that the five wise ones could give them admittance of walking with them in the most purer ways and institutions of the Gospel of Christ and yet but foolish nay they walked with them or shall walk with them until the Lord Jesus Christ shall break down from Heaven and yet but foolish Virgins and yet but under the Law and so under the Curse as I said before Object But say you we have disowned the Covenant of Works and turned from that also Answ. This is sooner said than done Alas alass poor souls think because they can say grace grace it is freely by grace therefore they are under the Covenant of Grace A very wide mistake you must understand thus much that though you be such as can speak of the Grace of the Gospel yet if you your selves be not brought under the very Covenant of Grace you are yet notwithstanding your talk and profession very far wide of a sense and of a share in the Covenant of the Grace of God held forth in the Gospel The Jews were men of a clearer understanding many of them then to conclude that the Law and only the Law was the way to salvation for they even they that received not the Christ of God did expect a Saviour should come John 7. 27 41 42 43. but they were men that had not that Gospel Spirit which alone is able to lead them to the very life marrow or substance of the Gospel in right terms and so being muddy in their understandings being between the thoughts of a Saviour and the thoughts of the Works of the Law thinking that they must be accomplished for the obtaining of a Saviour and his mercy towards them I say between these they fell short of a Saviour As many poor souls in these days they think they must be saved alone by the Saviour yet they think there is something to be done on their parts for the obtaining of the good will of the Saviour as their humiliation for sin their turning from the same their promises and vows and resolutions to become a new man joyn in Church-fellowship and what not and thus they bringing this along with them as a means to help them they fall short of eternal salvation if they convert not see that Scripture Rom. 9. 30 31 32. The Apostle saith there that they that sought not did obtain when they that did seek fell short What shall we say then saith he that the Gentiles which sought not after righteousness have attained to righteousness yea even the righteousness of faith and what else Why But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness have not attained to the Law of righteousness how came that to pass because saith he they sought it not by saith but as it were mark he doth not say altogether no but it were that is because as they sought they did a little by the by lean upon the Works of the Law And let me tell you that this is such a hard thing to beat men off of that though Paul himself did take the work in hand he did find enough to do touching it How is he saint to labour in the ten first Chapters of his Epistle to the Romans for the establishing of those that did even profess largely in the Doctrine of Grace And also in that Epistle to the Galatians and yet lost many do what he could Now the reason why the Doctrine of Grace doth so hardly down even with professors in truth effectually it is because there is a principle naturally in man that doth argue against the same and that thus why saith the soul I am a sinner and God is righteous holy and just his holy Law therefore having been broken by me I must by all means if ever I look to be saved In the first place be sorry for my sins Secondly Turn from the same Thirdly Follow after good duties and practise the good things of the Law and ordinances of the Gospel and so hope that God for Christs sake may forgive all my sins which is not the way to God as a Father in Christ but the way the very way to come to God by the Covenant of Works or the Law which things I shall more fully clear when I speak to the second doctrine Again therefore those that this day profess the Gospel for the generality of them they are such that notwithstanding their professien they are very ignorant of that glorious influence and Iâ—stre of the same I say they are ignorant of the vertue and efficacy of the glorious things of Christ held forth by and in the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 3. which doth argue their not being under the Covenant of Grace but rather under the Law or old Covenant As for instance If you do come among some professors of the Gospel in general you shall have them pretty busie and ripe also able to hold you in a very large discourse in several points of the same glorious Gospel but if you come to the same people and ask them concerning heart-work or what work the Gospel hath wrought on them and what appearance they have had of the sweet influences and vertues on their souls and consciences it may be they will give you such an answer as this I do find by the preaching thereof that I am changed and turned from my sins in a good measure and also have learned to distinguish between the Law and the Gospel so that for the one that is for the Gospel I can plead and also can shew the weakness and unprofitableness of the other and thus far it is like they may go which is not far enough to prove them under the Covenant of Grace though they may have their tongues so largely tipt with the profession of the same see 2 Pet. 2. 20. where he saith For if after they have escaped the pollutious of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which was not a saving knowledge they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end of that man is worse than his beginning See also Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4 c. and also Mat. 7. 22. Object But you will say is not this a fair declaring of the Work of Grace or doth it not discover that without all gain-saying we are under the Covenant of Grace when we are able not only to speak of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ but also to tell and that by experience that we have been changed from worse to better from sin to a holy life by leaving of the same and that by hearing of the Word preached Ans. A man may in the first place be able to talk of all the mysteries of the Gospel and that like an Angel of God and yet be no more
sin-offering which is for the people and bring his blood within the vail and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy-seat verse 11 12 13 14 15. Now this was for the priest and the people all which doth signifie that Jesus Christ was after his death to go into heaven it self of which this holy place was a figure Heb. 9. and there to carry the sacrifice that he offered upon the Cross into the presence of God for to obtain mercy for the people in a way of justice And in that he is said to take his hands full of sweet incense it signifies that Jesus Christ was to offer up his sacrifice in the presence of his Father in a way of intercession and prayers I might have branched these things out into several particulars but I would be brief I say therefore the office of the Priests was to carry the blood into the holy place and there to present it before the mercy-seat with his heart full of intercessions for the people for whom he was a Priest Luke 1. 8 9 10 11. This is Jesus Christs work now in the kingdom of glory to plead his own blood the nature and vertue of it with a perpetual intercession to the God of mercy on the behalf of us poor miserable sinners Heb. 7. 24. Now in the intercession of this Jesus which is part of his priestly office there is these things to be considered for our comfort First There is a pleading of the vertue of his blood for them that are already come in that they may be kept from the evils of heresies delusions temptations pleasures profits or any thing of this world which may be too hard for them Father I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world saith Christ but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil John 17. 15. Secondly in case the devil should aspire up into the presence of God to acuse any of the poor Saints and to plead their back-slidings against them as he will do if he can then there is Jesus our Lord Jesus ready in the Court of Heaven at the right hand of God to plead the vertue of his blood not only for the great and general satisfaction that he did give when he was on the Cross but also the vertue that is in it now for the cleansing and fresh purging of his poor Saints under their several temptations and infirmities as saith the Apostle For if when 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 that is by his intercession Rom. 5. 10. Thirdly The maintaining of grace also is by Jesus Christs intercession being the second part of his Priestly Office O! had we not a Jesus at the right hand of God making intercession for us and to convey fresh supplies of Grace unto us through the vertue of his blood being pleaded at Gods right hand how soon would it be with us as it is with those for whom he prays not at all John 17. 9. But the reason why thou standest while others fall the reason why thou goest through the many temptations of the world and shakest them off from thee while others are ensnared and intangled therein it is because thou hast an interceding Jesus I have prayed saith he that thy saith fail not Luke 22. 3 2. Fourthly It is partly by the vertue of Christs intercession that the elect are brought in there is many that are to come to Christ which are not yet brought in to Christ and it is one part of his work to pray for their salvation too Neither pray I for these alone but for all those that shall believe though as yet they do not believe on me but that they may believe through their word John 17. 20. And let me tell thee soul for thy comfort who art a coming in to Christ panting and sighing as if thy heart would break I tell thee soul thou wouldest never have come to Christ if he had not first by the vertue of his blood and intercession sent into thy heart an earnest desire after Christ and let me tell thee also that it is his business to make intercession for thee not only that thou mightest come in but that thou mightest be preserved when thou art come in Compare Heb. 7. 25. with Rom. 8. 33 34 35 c. Fifthly It is by the intercession of Christ that the infirmities of the Saints in their holy duties are forgiven Alas if it was not for the priestly office of Christ Jesus the prayers alms and other duties of the Saints might be rejected because of the sin that is in them but Jesus being our high Priest he is ready to take away the iniquities of our holy things perfuming our prayers with the glory of his own perfections and therefore it is that there is an answer given to the Saints prayers and also acceptance of their holy duties Rev. 8. 3 4. But Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament or Covenant that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called notwithstanding all their sins might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 11 12 13 14 15. The third thing now to be spoken to it is to shew where and how Jesus Christ out-went and goes beyond these priests in all their qualifications and offices for the comfort of poor Saints First They that were called to the priest-hood under the Law were but men but he is both God and Man Heb. 7. 28. 3. 2. Their qualifications were in them in a very scanty way but Jesus was every way qualified in an infinite and full way They were consecrated but for a time Heb. 7. 23. but he for ever more ver 24. 4. They were made without an oath ver 20 21. but he with an oath 5. They as servants but he as a Son Heb. 3. 6. 6. Their garments were but such as could be made with hands Ez. 28. but his the very righteousness of God Rom. 3. 22. 7. Their offerings were but the body and blood of beasts and such like Phil. 3. 8. but his offering was his own body and soul Heb.
for himself as soon as Christ had he been very God as Jesus Christ was For the reason why the posterity of Adam even so many of them as fall short of life must lye broyling in hell to all eternity is this They are not able to give the justice of Gods satisfaction they being not infinite as aforesaid But Christ that is God-man being come an high Priest that is to offer and give satisfaction of good things to comè by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own mark you that but by his own blood he hath entered into the holy place having already obtained eternal redemption for us But how For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an beifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purging of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit who through the power and vertue of his infinite Godhead offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God And for this cause that is for that he is God as well as man and so able to give justice an infinite satisfaction therefore he is the Mediator of the New Covenant that by the means of his death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 11 12 13 14 15. as I said before Object This is much but is God contented with this Is he satisfied now in the behalf of sinners by this mans thus suffering If he is then how doth it appear Answ. It is evident yea wonderful evident that this hath pleased him to the full as appeareth by these following Demonstrations First In that God did admit him into his presence yea receive him with joy and musick even with the sound of a Trumpet at his ascension into Heaven Psal. 47. 5. and Christ makes it an argument to his Children that his righteousness was sufficient in that he went to his Father and they saw him no more John 16. 10. Of righteousness saith he because I go to my Father 〈◊〉 ye see me no more As if he had said My Spirit shall shew to the world that I have brought in a sufficient righteousness to justifie sinners withal in that when I go to appear in the presence of my Father on their behalf he shall give me entertainment and not throw me down from heaven because I did not do it sufficiently Again If you consider the high esteem that God the father doth set on the death of his Son you will find that he hath received good content thereby When the Lord Jesus by way of complaint told his Father that he and his merits were not valued to the worth his Father answered It is a light thing that I should give thee O my servant to bring Jacob again I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth Isa. 49. 1 2 3 4 5 6. As if the Lord had said My Son I do value thy death at a higher rate then that thou shouldest save the Tribes of Israel only behold the Gentiles the barbarous Heathens they also shall be brought in as the price of thy blood It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant only to bring or redeem the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth Again You may see it also by the carriage of God the Father to all the great sinners to whom mercy was proffered We do not find that God maketh any objection against them that come to him for the pardon of their sins because he did want a satisfaction suitable to the greatness of their sins There was Manasseth who was one that burnt his children in the fire to the devil 2 Chron. 33. from 1. to 12. that used witchcraft that used to worship the host of heaven that turned his back on the word that God sent unto him nay that did worse than the very heathen that God cast out before the children of Israel Also those that are spoken of Acts 19. 19. that did spend so much time in conjuration and the like Acts 8. for such I judge they were that when they came to burn their books they counted the price thereof to be fifty thousand pieces of Silver Simon Magus also that was a Sorcerer and bewitched the whole City yet he had mercy proffered to him once and again I say it was not the greatness of the sins of these sinners no nor of an innumerable company of others that made God at all to object against the salvation of their souls which justice would have constrained him to had he not had satisfaction sufficient by the blood of the Lord Jesus Nay further I do find that because God the Father would not have the merits of his Son to be undervalued I say he doth therefore freely by his consent let mercy be proffered to the greatest sinners in the first place for the Jews that were the worst of men in that day for blasphemy against the Gospel yet the Apostle proffered mercy to them in the first place It is necessary saith he that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you Acts 13. 46. Acts 3. 26. And Christ gave them commission so to do for saith he Let repentance and remission of sins be preached in my name among all nations and begin mark that begin at Jerusalem Luke 24. 47. Let them that but the other day had their hands up to the elbows in my heart blood have the first proffer of my mercy And saith Paul For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting 1 Tim. 15 16. As the Apostle saith those sinners that were dead possessed with the devil and the children of wrath he hath quickned delivered and saved Ephes. 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. that he might even in the very ages to come shew forth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us and that through Jesus Christ. Secondly It is evident that that which this man did as a common person he did it compleatly and satisfactorily as appears by the openness as I may so call it which was in the heart of God to him at his resurrection and ascension Ask of me saith he and I will give thee the very heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Psal. 2. 8. And this was at his resurrection Acts 13. 33. Whereas though he had asked yet if he had not given a full and compleat
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
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
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