Man for being their Lord and Saviour and in that it is called the Sin against the holy Ghost It is a Name most fit for this Sin to be called the Sin against the Holy Ghost for these Reasons but now laid down for this Sin is immediately committed against the Motions and Convictions and Light of that Holy Spirit of God that makes it its business to hand forth and manifest the Truth and Reality of the Merits and Vertues of the Lord Jesus the Son of Man And therefore beware Ranters and Quakers for I am sure you are the nearest that Sin by profession which is indeed the right committing of it of any Persons that I do know at this day under the whole Heavens for as much as you will not venture the Salvation of your Souls on the Blood shed on Mount Calvary Luke 23. 33. out of the side of that Man that was offered up in Sacrifice for all that did believe in that his offering up of his Body at that time either before he offered it or that have do or shall believe on it for the time since together with that time that he offered it though formerly you did profess that Salvation was wrought out that way by that Sacrifice then offered and also seemed to have some comfort thereby yea insomuch that some of you declared the same in the hearing of many professing your selves to be believers of the same O therefore it is sad for you that were once thus enlightned and have tasted these good things and yet notwithstanding all your Profession you are now turned from the simplicity that is in Christ to another Doctrine which will be to your destruction if you continue in it for without Blood there is no Remission Heb. 9. 22. Many other Reasons might be given but that I would not be too tedious yet I would put in this Caution that if there be any Souls that be but now willing to venture their Salvation upon the Merits of a Naked Jesus I do verily for the present believe they have not sinned that Sin because there is still a promise holds forth it self to such a Soul where Christ saith He that comes to me I will in no wise for nothing that he hath done cast him out John 6. 36. That promise is worthy to be written in Letters of Gold Object But alas though I should never sin that Sin yet I have other sins enough to Damn me Answ. What though thou had'st the sins of a thousand Sinners yet if thou come to Christ he will save thee Joh. 6. 36. see also Heb. 7. 25. Object Alas but how should I come I doubt I do not come as I should do my Heart is naught and dead and alas then how should I come Answ. Why bethink thy self of all the sins that ever thou did'st commit and lay the weight of them all upon thy Heart till thou art down loaden with the same and come to him in such a Case as this and he will give thee rest for thy Soul Mat. 11. the three last Verses And again if thou wouldest know how thou shouldest come come as much undervaluing thy self as ever thou canst saying Lord here is a Sinner the basest in all the Country if I had my deserts I had been damned in Hell Fire long ago Lord I am not worthy to have the least corner in the Kingdom of Heaven and yet O that thou wouldest have Mercy Come like Benhadad's Servants to the King of Israel 1 Kin. 20. 31 32. with a Rope about thy Neck and fling thy self down at Christ's feet and lye there a while striving with him by thy Prayers and I 'll warrant thee speed Mat. 11. 28 29 30. John 6. 37. Object O! but I am not sanctified Answ. He will sanctifie thee and be made thy Sanctification also 1 Cor. 6. 10 11. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Object O! but I cannot Pray Answ. To Pray is not for thee to down on thy Knees and say over a many Scripture words only for that thou may'st do and yet do nothing but babble But if thou from a sense of thy baseness canst groan out thy Hearts desire before the Lord he will hear thee and grant thy desire for he can tell what is the meaning of the groanings of the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 27. Object O but I am afraid to Pray for fear my Prayers should be counted as sin in the sight of the great God Answ. That is a good sign that thy Prayers are more than bare words and have some prevalence at the Throne of Grace through Christ Jesus or else the Devil would never seek to labour to beat thee off from Prayer by undervaluing thy Prayers telling thee they are Sin for the best Prayers he will call the worst and the worst he will call the best or else how should he be a Liar Object But I am afraid the day of Grace is past and if it should be so what should I do then Answ. Truly with some men indeed it doth fare thus that the day of Grace is at an end before their Lives are at an end Or thus the day of Grace is past before the day of Death is come as Christ saith If thou had'st known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy Peace that is the word of Grace or Reconciliation but now it is hid from thine Eyes Luke 19. 41 42. But for the better satisfying of thee as touching this thing Consider these following things First doth the Lord knock still at the door of thy Heart by his Word and Spirit If so then the day of Grace is not past with thy Soul for where he doth so knock there he doth also proffer and promise to come in and Sup that is to Communicate of his things unto them which he would not do was the day of Grace past with the Soul Rev. 3. 20. But how should I know whether Christ do so knock at my heart as to be desirous to come in That I may know also whether the day of Grace be past with me or no Consider these things First doth the Lord make thee sensible of thy miserable state without an interest in Jesus Christ and that naturally thou hast no share in him no faith in him no communion with him no delight in him or love in the least to him If he hath and is doing of this he hath and is knocking at thy Heart Secondly doth he together with this put into thy Heart an earnest desire after communion with him together with holy Resolutions not to be satisfied without real communion with him Thirdly doth he sometimes give thee some secret persuasions though not scarcely discernable that thou mayest attain and get an interest in him Fourthly doth he now and then glance in some of the promises into thy Heart causing them to leave some heavenly savour though but for a very short time on thy Spirit Fifthly dost thou at some time see some
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
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
I could that God would accept of me and have mercy upon me as he had on others Ah friends this is the cause of the ruine of thousands for if they are blinded to this both the right use of the Law and also of the Gospel is hid from their eyes and so for certain they will be in danger of perishing most miserably poor souls that they are unless God of his meer mercy and love doth rend the vail from off their hearts the vail of ignorance for that is it which doth keep these poor souls in this besetted and blindfolded condition in which if they dye they may be lamented for but not helped they may be pittied but not preserved from the stroak of Gods everlasting vengeance In the next place if you would indeed be delivered from the first into the second Covenant I do admonish you to the observing of these following particulars First Have a care that you do not content your selves though you do good works that is which in themselves are good in and with a Legal Spirit which are done these ways as followeth First If you do any thing commanded in Scripture and in your doing of it do think that God is well pleased therewith because you as you are religious men do do the same upon this mistake was Paul himself in danger of being destroyed for he thought because he was zealous and one of the strictest sect for Religion therefore God would have been good unto him and have accepted his doings as it is clear for he counted them his gain Philipians 3. 4 5 6 7 8. Now this is done thus When a man doth think that because he thinks he is more sincere more liberal with more difficulty or to the weakning of his estate I say if a man because of this doth think that God accepteth his labour it is done from an Old Covenant Spirit Again Some men they think that they shall be heard because they have prayer in their families because they can pray long and speak expressions or express themselves excellently in prayer that because they have great enlargements in prayer I say that therefore to think that God doth delight in their doings and accept their works this is from a Legal Spirit Again Some men think that because their Parents have been religious before them and have been indeed the people of God they think if they also do as to the outward observing of that which they learned from their fore-runners that therefore God doth accept them but this also is from a wrong spirit and yet how many are there in England at this day that think the better of themselves meerly upon that account I and think the people of God ought to think so too not understanding that it is ordinary for an Eli to have an Hophni and a Phinâ—has both sons of Belial Also a good Samuel to have a perverse off-spring likewise David an Absalom I say their being ignorant of or else negligent in regarding this they do think that because they do spring from such and such as the Jews in their generations did that therefore they have a priviledge with God more than others when there is no such thing John 8 33 34 35. Mat. 3. 7 8 9. but for certain if the same faith be not in them which was in their fore-runners to lay hold of the Christ of God in the same spirit as they did they must utterly perish for all their high conceits that they have of themselves Secondly When People come into the presence of God without having their eye upon their Divine Majesty through the flesh and blood of the Son of Mary the Son of God then also do they come before God and do whatsoever they do from a Legal Spirit an old Covenant Spirit As for instance you have some people 't is true they will go to Prayer in appearance very fervently and will plead very hard with God that he would grant them their desires pleading their want and the abundance thereof they will also plead with God his great mercy and also his free promises but yet they neglecting the aforesaid Body or Person of Christ the righteous Lamb of God to appear before him in I say in thus doing they do not appear before the Lord no otherwayes then in an old Covenant Spirit for they go to God only as a merciful Creator and they themselves as his Creatures not as he is their Father in the Son and they his children by Regeneration through the Lord Jesus I and though they may call God their Father in the Notion not knowing what they say only having learned such things by tradition as the Pharisees did yet Christ will have his time to say to them even to their faces as he did once to the Jews Your father for all this your profession is the Devil to their own grief and everlasting misery John 8. 44. The third thing that is to be observed if we would not be under the Law or do things in a Legal Spirit is this to have a care that we do none of the works of the holy Law of God for life or acceptance with him no nor of the Gospel neither To do the works of the Law to the end we may be accepted of God or that we may please him and to have our desires of him is to do things from a Legal or old Covenant-Spirit and that is expresly laid down where it is said To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt that is he appears before God through the Law and his obedience to it Rom. 4. 4 5. And again though they be in themselves Gospel-Ordinances as baptism breaking of bread hearing praying meditating or the like yet I say if they be not done in a right Spirit they are thereby used as a hand by the Devil to pull thee under the Covenant of Works as in former times he used circumcision which was no part of the Covenant of Works the ten Commands but a Seal of the righteousness of Faith yet I say they being done in a Legal Spirit the Soul was thereby brought under the Covenant of Works and so most miserably destroyed unawares to it self and that because there was not a right understanding of the nature and terms of the said Covenants And so it is now Souls being ignorant of the nature of the old Covenant do even by their subjecting to several Gospel-ordinances run themselves under the old Covenant and fly off from Christ even when they think they are a coming closer to him O miserable If you would know when or how this is done whether in one particular or more I shall shew you as followeth 1. That man doth bring himself under the Covenant of Works by Gospel-Ordinances when he cannot be persuaded that God will have mercy upon him except he do yield obedience to such or such a particular thing commanded in the Word this is the very same spirit that was in
the false brethren spoken of Asts 15. Gal. the whole Epistle whose judgement was that unless such and such things were done they could not be saved As now a days we have also some that say unless your Infants be baptized they cannot be saved and others say unless you be rightly baptized you have no ground to be assured that you are believers or members of Churches which is so far off from being so good as a Legal Spirit that it is the Spirit of Blasphemy as is evident because they do reckon that the Spirit Righteousness and Faith of Jesus and the confession thereof is not sufficient to declare men to be members of the Lord Jesus when on the other side though they be rank hypocrites yet if they do yield an outward subjection to this or that they are counted presently communicable members which doth clearly discover that there is not so much honour given to the putting on the righteousness of the Son of God as there is given to that which a man may do and yet go to hell within an hour after nay in the very doing of it doth shut himself for ever from Jesus Christ. 2. Men may do things from a Legal or Old covenant-Covenant-Spirit when they content themselves with their doing of such and such a thing as prayers reading hearing baptism breaking of bread or the like I say when they can content themselves with the thing done and sit down at ease and content because the the thing is done As for instance some men they being persuaded that such and such a thing is their duty and that unless they do do it God will not be pleased with them nor suffer them to be heirs of his kingdom they from this spirit do rush into and do the thing which being done they are content as being persuaded that now they are without doubt in a happy condition because they have done such things like unto the Pharisee who because he had done this and the other thing said therefore in a bragging way Lord I thank thee that I am not as this Publican for I have done thus and thus when alas the Lord gives him never a good word for his labour but rather a reproof 3. That man doth act from a Legal Spirit who maketh the strictness of his walking the ground of his assurance for eternal life Some men all the ground they have to believe that they shall be saved it is because they walk not so loose as their neighbours they are not so bad as others are and therefore they question not but that they shall do well now this is a false ground and a thing that is verily Legal and savours only of some slight and shallow apprehensions of the Old Covenant I call them shallow apprehensions because they are not right and sound and are such as will do the Soul no good but beguile it in that the knowledge of the nature of this Covenant doth not appear to the Soul only some commanding power it hath on the Soul which the Soul endeavouring to give up it self unto it doth find some peace and content and especially if it find it self to be pretty willing to yield it self to its commands and is not this the very ground of thy hoping that God will save thee from the wrath to come If one should ask thee what ground thou hast to think thou shalt be saved wouldst thou not say truly because I have left my sins and because I am more inclinable to do good and to learn and get more knowledge I endeavour to walk in Church order as they call it and therefore I hope God hath done a good work for me and I hope will save my soul. Alas alas this is a very trick of the Devil to make Souls build the ground of their salvation upon this their strictness and abstaining from the wickedness of their former lives and because they desire to be stricter and stricter Now if you would know such a man or woman you shall find them in this frame namely when they think their hearts are good then they think also that Christ will have mercy upon them but when their corruptions work then they doubt and scruple untill again they have their hearts more ready to do the things contained in the Law and Ordinances of the Gospel Again such men do commonly chear up their hearts and encourage themselves still to hope all shall be well and that because they are not so bad as the rest but more inclinable than they saying I am glad I am not as this Publican but better than he more righteous than he Luke 18. 11. 4. That is a Legal and Old Covenant-Spirit that secretly persuades the Soul that if ever it will be saved by Christ it must first be â—itted for Christ by its getting of a good heart and good intentions to do this and that for Christ I say that the Soul when it comes to Christ may not be rejected or turned off when indeed and in truth this is the very way for the Soul to turn it self from Jesus Christ instead of turning to him for such a Soul looks upon Christ rather to be a painted Saviour or a Cipher then a very and real Saviour Friend if thou canst fit thy self what need hast thou of Christ If thou canst get qualifications to carry to Christ that thou mightest be accepted thou doest not look to be accepted in the beloved Shall I tell thee thou art as if a man should say I will make my self clean and then I will go to Christ that he may wash me or like to a man possessed that will first cast the Devils out of himself and then come to Christ for cure for him Thou must therefore if thou wilt so lay hold of Christ as not to be rejected by him I say thou must come to him as the basest in the world more fitter to be damned if thou hadst thy right then to have the least smile hope or comfort from him come with the fire of hell in thy conscience come with thy heart hard dead cold full of wickedness and madness against thy own Salvation come as renouncing all thy tears prayers watchings fastings come as a blood-red sinner do not stay from Christ till thou hast a greater sense of thy own misery nor of the reality of Gods mercy do not stay while thy heart is softer and thy spirit in a better frame but go against thy mind and against the mind of the Devil and Sin throw thy self down at the foot of Christ with a halter about thy neck and say Lord Jesus hear a sinner a hard-hearted sinner a sinner that deserveth to be damned to be cast to hell and resolve never to return or to give over crying unto him till thou do find that he hath washed thy Conscience from dead works with his blood vertually and clothed thee with his own righteousness and made thee compleat in himself this is the way to
attribute that either to my Brevity or if thou wilt to my Weaknesses for I am full of them A word or two more and so I shall have done with this And the first is Friend if thou do not desire the Salvation of thy Soul yet I pray thee to read this Book over with serious Consideration it may be it will stir up in thee some desires to look out after it which at present thou mayest be without Secondly if thou do find any stirrings in thy Heart by thy reading such an unworthy man's Works as mine are be sure that in the first place thou give Glory to God and give way to thy Convictions and be not too hasty in getting them off from thy Conscience but let them so work till thou do see thy self by nature void of all Grace as Faith Hope Knowledge of God Christ and the Covenant of Grace Thirdly then in the next place fly in all haste to Jesus Christ thou being sensible of thy lost Condition without him secretly perswading of thy Soul that Jesus Christ standeth open armed to receive thee to wash away thy Sins to cloath thee with his Righteousness and is willing yea heartily willing to present thee before the Presence of the Glory of God and among the innumerable Company of Angels with exceeding Joy This being thus in the next place do not satisfie thy self with these secret and first Perswasions which do or may encourage thee to come to Jesus Christ but be restless till thou do find by blessed experience the glorious Glory of this the second Covenant extended unto thee and sealed upon thy Soul with the very Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that thou mayest not slight this my Counsel I beseech thee in the second place consider these following things First if thou do get off thy Convictions and not the right way which is by seeing thy Sins washed away by the Blood of Jesus Christ it is a question whether ever God will knock at thy Heart again or no but rather say Such a one is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos. 4. 17. Though he be in a natural state let him alone Though he be in or under the Curse of the Law let him alone Though he be in the very hand of the Devil let him alone Though he be a going post-haste to Hell let him alone Though his Damnation will not only be Damnation for Sins against the Law but also for slighting the Gospel yet let him alone My Spirit my Ministers my Word my Grace my Mercy my Love my Pity my common Providences shall no more strive with him let him alone O sad O miserable who would slight Convictions that are on their Souls which tend so much for their good Secondly if thou shalt not regard how thou do put off Convictions but put them off without the precious Blood of Christ being savingly applied to thy Soul thou art sure to have the mispending of that Conviction to prove the hardning of thy Heart against the next time thou art to hear the Word preached or read This is commonly seen that those Souls that have not regarded those Convictions that are at first set upon their Spirits do commonly and that by the just Judgments of God upon them grow more hard more sensless more feared and sottish in their Spirits for some who formerly would quake and weep and relent under the hearing of the Word do now for the present sit so sensless so feared and hardned in their Consciences that certainly if they should have Hell-fire thrown in their Faces as it is sometimes cried up in their Ears they would scarce be moved and this comes upon them as a just Judgment of God 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. Thirdly if thou do slight these or those Convictions that may be set upon thy Heart by reading of this Discourse or hearing of any other good man preach the Word of God sincerely thou wilt have the stifling of these or those Convictions to account and answer for at the Day of Judgment not only thy Sins that are commonly committed by thee in thy Calling and common Discourse but thou shalt be called to a reckoning for slighting Convictions disregarding of Convictions which God useth as a special means to make poor Sinners see their lost Condition and the need of a Saviour Now here I might add many more Considerations besides these to the end thou mayest be willing to tend and listen to Convictions as First consider thou hast a precious Soul more worth than the whole World and this is commonly worked upon if ever it be saved by Convictions Secondly this Soul is for certain to go to Hell if thou shalt be a slighter of Convictions Thirdly if that go to Hell thy Body must go thither too and then never to come out again Now consider this you that are apt to forget God and his Convictions lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. 22. But if thou shalt be such a one that shalt notwithstanding thy reading of thy Misery and also of God's Mercy still persist to go on in thy Sins know in the first place that here thou shalt be left by the things that thou readest without excuse and in the World to come thy Damnation will be exceedingly aggravated for thy not regarding of them and turning from thy Sins which was not only reproved by them but also for rejecting of that Word of Grace that did instruct thee how and which way thou should'st be saved from them And so farewel I shall leave thee and also this Discourse to God who I know will pass a righteous Judgment both upon that and thee I am yours though not to serve your Lusts and filthy minds yet to reprove instruct and according to that proportion of Faith and Knowledge which God hath given me to declare unto you the way of Life and Salvation Your Judgings Railings Surmizings and disdaining of me that I shall leave till the fiery Judgment comes in which the Ostender shall not go unpunished be he you or me yet I shall pray for you wish well to you and do you what good I can And that I might not write or speak in vain Christian pray for me to our God with much Earnestness Fervency and frequently in all your Knocking 's at our Fathers door because I do very much stand in need thereof for my Work is great my Heart is vile the Devil lieth at watch the World would fain be saying aha aha thus we would have it and of my self keep my self I cannot trust my self I dare not if God do not help me I am sure it will not be long before my Heart deceive me and the World have their Advantage of me and so God be dishonoured by me and thou also ashamed to own me O therefore be much in Prayer for me thy Fellow I trust in that glorious Grace that is conveyed from Heaven to Sinners by which they are
in Gods account than the sounding of a Drum Brass or the tinkling of a Cimball which are things that notwithstanding their sound and great noise are absolutely void of life and motion and so are accounted with God as nothing that is no Christians no Believers not under the Covenant of Grace for all that See 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. Secondly Men may not only do this but may also be changed in reality for a season from what they formerly were and yet be nothing at all in the Lords account as to an eternal blessing Read 2 Pet. 2. 20. the Scripture which I mentioned before for indeed that one Scripture is enough to prove all that I desire to say as to this very thing for if you observe there is enfolded therein these following things first that reprobates may attain to a knowledge of Christ. Secondly This knowledge may be of such weight and force that for the present it may make them escape the pollutions of the world and this by hearing the Gospel For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowled 〈◊〉 of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the last end of that man is worse than his beginning Now that they are Reprobates Dogs or Sows Read further But saith he it is happenened to them according to the true proverb the Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire verse 21. 22. But say you our practices in the worship of God shall testifie for us that we are not under the Law for we have by Gods goodness attained to as exact a way of walking in the ordinances of God and as near the examples of the Apostles as ever any Churches since the primitive time as we judge Answ. What then do you think that the walking in the order of the Churches of old as to matter of outward worship is sufficient to clear you of your sins at the judgment day or do you think that God will be contented with a little bodily subjection to that which shall vanish and fade like a flower when the Lord shall come from Heaven in flaming fire with his mighty Angels 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. Alas alis how will such professors as these are fall before the Judgment-seat of Christ then such a question as this Friend how camest thou in hither not having on thy wedding garment will make them be speechless and fall down into everlasting burnings thousands on a heap for you must know that it is not then your crying Lord Lord that will stand you in stead nor your saying We have eat and drunk in thy presence that will keep you from standing on the left hand of Christ. It is the principle as well as the practice that shall be enquired into at that day Quest. The principle you will say what do you mean by that Answ. My meaning is the Lord Jesus Christ will then enquire and examine whether the Spirit from which you acted was Legal or Evangelical that is whether it was the spirit of adoption that did draw you out to the thing you took in hand or a meer moral principle together with some shallow and common illuminations into the outward way of the Worship of God according to Gospel rule Quest. But you will say its like how should this be made manifest and appear Answ. I shall speak briefly in answer hereunto as followeth First then that man that doth take up any of the ordinances of God namely as Prayer Baptism breaking of Bread Reading Hearing Alms-deeds or the like I say he that doth practice any of these or such like supposing thereby to procure the love of Christ to his own soul he doth do what he doth from a Legal and not from an Evangelical or Gospel Spirit as thus for a man to suppose that God will hear him for his Prayers sake for his Alms-sake for his Hamiliation sake or because he hath promised to make God amends hereafter whereas there is no such thing as a satisfaction to be made to God by our Prayers or whatever we can do I say there is no such way to have reconciliation with God in And so also for men to think because they are got into such and such an Ordinance and have crouded themselves into such and such a Society that therefore they have got pretty good shelter from the wrath of the Almighty when alas poor souls there is no such thing No but God will so set his face against such professors that his very looks will make them to tear their very flesh yea make them to wish would they had the biggest Mill-stone in the world hanged about their necks and they cast into the midst of the Sea For friends let me tell you though you can now content your selves without the holy harmless undefiled perfect righteousness of Christ yet there is a day a coming in which there is not one of you shall be saved but those that are and shall be found clothed with that righteousness God will say to ALL the rest Take them bind them hand and foot and cast them into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. for Christ will not say unto men in that day Come which of you made a profession of me and walked in Church-fellowship with my Saints no but then it shall be enquired into who hath the reality of the truth of grace wrought in their hearts and for certain he that misseth of that shall surely be cast into the lake of fire there to burn with the devils and damned men and women there to undergo the wrath of the eternal God and that not for a day a month a year but for ever for ever for ever and ever there is that which cutteth to the quick therefore look to it and consider now what you do and whereon you hang your souls for it is not every pin that will hold in the judgment nor every foundation that will be able to hold up the house against those mighty terrible souldrowning floods and destroying tempests which then will roar against the soul and body of a sinner Luke the 6. the three last verses and if the principle be rotten all will fall all will come to nothing Now the principle is this not to do things because we would be saved but to do them from this namely because we do really believe that we are and shall be saved but do not mistake me I do not say we should slight any holy duties God forbid but I say he that doth look for life because he doth do good duties he is under the Covenant of Works the Law let his duties be never so eminent so often so fervens so zealous I and I say as I said before that if any man or men or multitudes of people do get into never so high so eminent and clear
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
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
sins of Thousands and Thousands and all at once This also is one means to make souls tender of sin it is the burned child that feareth the fire to make them humble in a sense of their own vileness to make them count every thing that God giveth them a mercy to make much of the least glimpse of the love of God and to prize it above the whole world O sinners were you killed indeed then Heaven would be Heaven and Hell would be Hell indeed but because you are not wrought upon in this manner therefore you count the ways of God as bad as a good man counteth the ways of the devil and the ways of the devil and hell as good as a Saint doth count the ways of God Fourthly Again God is fain to go this way and all to make sinners make sure of Heaven So long as souls are senseless of sin and what a damnable state they are in by nature so long they will even dally with the Kingdom of Heaven and the Salvation of their own poor souls but when God cometh and sheweth them where they are and what is like to become of them if they miss of the Crucified Saviour Oh then saith the soul would I were sure of Jesus what shall I do to get assurance of Jesus And thus is God forced as I may say to whip souls to Jesus Christ they being so secure so senseless and so much their own enemies as not to look out after their own eternal advantage Fifthly A fifth reason why God doth deal thus with sinners it is because he would bring Christ and the Soul together in a right way Christ and Sinners would never come together in a beloved posture they would not so suitably suit each other if they were not brought together this way the sinner being killed O when the sinner is killed and indeed struck dead to every thing below a naked Jesus how suitably then doth the Soul and Christ suit one with another Then here is a naked sinner for a righteous Jesus a poor sinner to a rich Jesus a weak sinner to a strong Jesus a blind sinner to a seeing Jesus an ignorant careless sinner to a wise and careful Jesus O how wise is God in dealing thus with the sinner he strips him of his own knowledge that he may fill him with Christs he killeth him for taking pleasure in sin that he may take pleasure in Jesus Christ c. Sixthly But sixthly God goeth this way with sinners because he would have the glory of their salvation Should not men and women be killed to their own things they would do sacrifice unto them and instead of saying to the Lamb THOU ART WORTHY Rev. 5. 9. Job 40. 14. Rom. 3. 27. Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. they woul say their own arm their own right hand hath saved them but God will cut off boasting from ever entring within the borders of eternal glory for he is resolved to have the glory of the beginning the middle and the end of the contriving and saving and giving salvation to them that enter into the joys of everlasting glory That they may be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorifyed Isa. 61. 3. I might have run thorow many things as to this but I shall pass them and proceed Now Secondly The soul being thus killed to it's self its sins its righteousness faith hope wisdom promises resolutions and the rest of its things which it trusted in by nature In the next place it hath also given unto it a most glorious perfect and never-fading life which is first a life imputed to it yet so really that the very thought of it in the soul hath so much operation and authority especially when the meditation of it is mixed with faith as to make it though condemned by the Law to triumph and to look its enemies in the face with comfort notwithstanding the greatness of the multitude the fierceness of their anger and the continuation of their malice be never so hot against it This imputed life for so it is is the obedience of the Son of God as his righteousness in his suffering arising ascending interceding and so consequently triumphing over all the enemies of the soul and given to me as being wrought on purpose for me So that is is there righteousness in Christ that is mine Is there perfection in that righteousness that is mine did he bleed for sin it was for mine Hath he overcome the Law the Devil and Hell the victory is mine and I am counted the Conqueror Nay more than a conqueror through him that hath loved me and I do count this a most glorious life for by this means it is that I am in the first place proclaimed both in Heaven and Earth guiltless and such a one who as I am in Christ am not a sinner and so not under the Law to be condemned but as holy and righteous as the Son of God himself because he himself is my holiness and righteousness and so likewise having by this all things taken out of the way that would condemn me Sometimes I bless the Lord my soul hath had the life that now I am speaking of not only imputed to me but the very glory of it upon my soul For upon a time when I was under many condemnings of heart and feared because of my sins my soul would miss of eternal glory methought I felt in my soul such a secret motion as this Thy righteousness is in Heaven together with the splendour and shining of the spirit of grace in my soul which gave me to see clearly that my righteousness by which I should be justified from all that could condemn was the Son of God himself in his own person now at the right hand of his Father representing me compleat before the mercy-seat in his own self so that I saw clearly that night and day where ever I was or what ever I was a doing still there was my righteousness just before the eys of divine glory so that the Father could never find fault with me for any insufficiency that was in my righteousness being it was compleat neither could he say where is it because it was continually at his right hand Also at another time having contracted guilt upon my soul and having some distemper of body upon me supposed that death might now so seize upon as to take me away from among men then thought I what shall I do now is all right with my soul have I the right work of God on my soul Answering my self No surely and that because there were so many weaknesses in me yea so many weaknesses in my best duties for thought I how can such a one as I find mercy whose heart is so ready to evil and so backward to that which is good so far as it is natural Thus musing being filled with fear to die these words came in upon my soul Being
his fulness have we all received and grace for grace Col. 1. 9. And this the Saints cannot be deprived of because the Covenant made with Christ in every tittle of it was so compleatly fulfilled as to righteousness both active and passive that justice cannot object any thing holiness now can find fault with nothing nay all the power of God cannot shake any thing that hath been done for us by the Mediator of the New Covenant so that now there is no Covenant of Works to a Believer none of the commands accusations condemnations or the least tittle of the Old Covenant to be charged on any of those that are the Children of the Second Covenant no sin to be charged because there is no Law to be pleaded but all is made up by our middle man Christ Jesus O blessed Covenant O blessed Priviledge Be wise therefore O ye poor drooping souls that are the sons of this second Covenant And stand fast in the liberty wherewith CHRIST hath made you free and be not again intangled not terrified in your consciences with the yoke of bonbondage neither the commands accusations or condemnations of the Law of the Old Covenant Gal. 5. 1 2. Object If it be so then one need not care what they do they may sin and sin again seeing Christ hath made satisfaction Answ. If I was to point out one that was under the power of the Devil and going poste haste to hell for my life I would look no further for such a man then to him that would make such a use as this of the grace of God What because Christ is a Saviour thou wilt be a sinner because his grace abounds therefore thou wilt abound in in O wicked wretch rake hell all over and surely I think thy fellow will scarce be found And let me tell thee this before I leave thee as Gods Covenant with Christ for his Children which are of faith stands sure immutable unrevokable and unchangeable so also hath God taken such a course with thee that unless thou can'st make God forswear himself it is impossible that thou shouldest go to heaven dying in that condition They tempted me proved me and turned the grace of God into laciviousness Compare Heb. 3. 9. 10 11. ver with the 1 Cor. 10. Chap. from the 5. verse to the 10. So I sware mark that So I sware and that in my wrath too that they should never enter into my rest No saith God if Christ will not serve their turns but they must have their sins too take them devil if Heaven will not satisfie them take them hell devour them hell scald them fry them burn them hell God hath more places than one to put sinners into if they do not like of Heaven he will fit them with Hell if they do not like Christ they shall be forced to have the Devil Therefore we must and will tell of the truth of the nature of the Covenant of the grace of God to his poor Saints for their encouragement and for their comfort who would be glad to leap at Christ upon any terms yet therewith we can tell how through grace to tell the hogs and sons of this world what a hogsty there is prepared for them even such a one that God hath prepared to put the Devil and his Angels into is fitly prepared for them Mat. 25. 41. Object But if Christ hath given God a full and compleat satisfaction then though I do go on in sin I need not fear seeing God hath already been satisfied it will be injustice in God to punish for those sins for which he is already satisfied for by Christ. Answ. Rebell rebell there are some in Christ and some out of him they that are in him have their sins forgiven and they themselves made new creatures and have the spirit of the Son which is a holy loving self-denying spirit And they that are thus in Jesus Christ are so far off from delighting in sin that sin is the greatest thing that troubleth them and O how willingly would they be rid of the very thoughts of it Psal. 119. 113. It is the grief of their souls when they are in a right frame of spirit that they can live no more to the honour and glory of God then they do and in all their prayers to God the breathings of their souls is as much for sanctifying grace as pardoning grace that they might live a holy life they would as willingly live holy here as they would be happy in the world to come Phil. 3. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. they would as willingly be cleansed from the filth of sin as to have the guilt of it taken away they would as willingly glorifie God here as they would be glorified by him hereafter 2. But there are some that are out of Christ being under the Law and as for all those let them be civil or profane they are such as God accounts wicked and I say as for those if all the Angels in Heaven can drag them before the Judgment-seat of Christ they shall be brought before it to answer for all their ungodly deeds Jude 15. and being condemned for them if all the fire in Hell will burn them they shall be burned there if they die in that condition And therefore if you love your souls do not give way to such a wicked spirit Let no man deceive yoâ— with such vain words as to think because Christ hath made satisfaction to God for sin therefore you may live in your sins O no God forbid that any should think so for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Ephes. 5 6. Thus have I Reader given thee a brief discourse touching the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace also of the nature of the one together with the nature of the other I have also in this Discourse endeavoured to shew you the condition of them that are under the Law how sad it is both from the nature of the Covenant they are under and also by the carriage of God unto them by that Covenant And now because I would bring all into as little a compass as I can I shall begin with the Use and Application of the whole in as brief a way as I can desiring the Lord to bless it to thee And first of all let us here begin to examine a little touching the Covenant you stand before God in whether it be the Covenant of Works or the Covenant of Grace and for the right doing of this I shall lay down this proposition Namely that all men naturally come into the world under the first of these which is called the Old Covenant or the Covenant of Works which is the Law And were all by nature the children of wrath even as others which they could not be had they not been under the Law for there are none that are under the other Covenant that
come to Christ. The Use for the second Doctrine Now a few words to the second Doctrine and so I shall draw towards a conclusion The Doctrine doth contain in it very much comfort to thy Soul who art a new Covenant man or one of those who art under the New Covenant There is first pardon of sin And secondly the manifestation of the same And thirdly a power to cause thee to persevere through Faith to the very end of thy life There is first pardon of sin which is not in the Old Covenant for in that there is nothing but commands and if not obeyed condemned O but there is pardon of sin even of all thy sins against the first and second Covenant under which thou art and that freely upon the account of Jesus Christ the righteous he having in thy name nature and in the room of thy person fulfilled all the whole Law in himself for thee and freely giveth it unto thee O though the Law be a ministration of death and condemnation yet the Gospel under which thou art is the ministration of life and salvation 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. Though they that live and dye under the first Covenant God regardeth them not Heb. 8. 9. Yet they that are under the second are as the apple of his Eye Deut. 32. 10. Psal. 17. 8. Zech. 2. 8. Though they that are under the first the Law are called to blackness and darkness and tempest the sound of a Trumpet and a burning Mountain which sight was so terrible that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 18 19 20 21. Yet you are come unto Mount Sion to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first born whose names are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Jesus to blessed Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh betten things than that of Abel Heb. 12. 22 23 24. even forgiveness of sins Eph. 1. 7. 2. The Covenant that thou art under doth allow of Repentance in case thou chance to slip or fall by sudden Temptation Rev. 2. 5. but the Law allows of none Gal. 3. 10. The Covenant that thou art under allows thee strength also but the Law is only a sound of words commanding Words but no Power is given by them to fulfill the things commanded Heb. 12. 19. Thou that art under this second art made a Son but they that are under that first are Slaves and Vagabonds Gen. 4. 12. Thou that art under this hast a Mediator that is to stand between Justice and thee 1 Tim. 2. 5. But they under the other their Mediator is turned an Accuser and speaketh most bitter things against their Souls John 5. 45. Again the way that thou hast into Paradise is a new and living way mark a living way Heb. 10. 20. But they that are under the Old Covenant their way into Paradise is a killing and destroying way Gen. 3. 24. Again thou hast the Righteousness of God to appear before God withall Phil. 3. 9. But they under the Old Covenant have nothing but the Righteousness of the Law which Paul counts dirt and dung Phil. 3. 7 8. Thou hast that which will make thee perfect but the other will not do so Heb. 7. 19. The Law makes nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope which is the Son of God did by which we draw nigh to God 3. The New Covenant promiseth thee a new Heart as I said before Ezek. 36. 26. but the Old Covenant promiseth none and a new Spirit but the Old Covenant promiseth none The New Covenant conveyeth Faith Gal. 3. but the Old one conveyeth none Through the New Covenant the Love of God is conveyed into the Heart Rom. 5. but through the Old Covenant there is conveyed none of it savingly through Jesus Christ. The New Covenant doth not only give a Promise of Life but also with that the assurance of Life but the old one giveth none The old Covenant wrought Wrath in us and to us Rom. 4. 15. but the new one worketh Love Gal. 5. 6. Thus much for the first use Secondly As all these and many more Priviledges do come to thee through or by the New Covenant and that thou mightest not doubt of the Certainty of these glorious Priviledges God hath so ordered it that they do all come to thee by way of Purchase being obtained for thee ready to thy hand by that one Man Jesus who is the Mediator or the Person that hath principally to do both with God and thy Soul in the things pertaining to this Covenant so that now thou mayest look on all the glorious things that are spoken of in the New Covenant and say all these must be mine I must have a share in them Christ hath purchased them for me and given them to me Now I need not to say O! but how shall I come by them God is holy I am a sinner God is just and I have offended no but thou mayest say though I am vile and deserve nothing yet Christ is holy and he deserveth all things though I have so provoked God by breaking his Law that he could not in justice look upon me yet Christ hath so gloriously paid the debt that now God can say Welcome Soul I will give thee grace I will give thee glory thou shalt lie in my bosom and go no more out my Son haâ—â—â—leased me he hath satisfied the loud cries oâ—â—he Law and Justice that called for speedy vengeance on thee He hath fulfilled the whole Law he hath brought in everlasting righteousness he hath overcome the Devil he hath washed away thy sins with his most precious blood he hath destroyed the power of death and triumphs over all the Enemies This he did in his own person as a common Jesus for all persons in their stead even for so many as shall come in to him for his victory I give to them his righteousness I give to them his merits I bestow on them and look upon them holy harmless undefiled and for ever comely in my Eye through the victory of the Captain of their Salvation And that thou mayest indeed and in truth not only hear and read this glorious Doctrine but be found one that hath the life of it in thy heart thou must be much in studying of the two Covenants the nature of the one and the nature of the other and the conditions of them that are under them both Also thou must be well grounded in the manner of the Victory and Merits of Christ how they are made thine And here thou must in the first place believe that the Babe that was Born of Mary lay in a Manger at Bethlehem in the time of Caesar Augustus that he that Babe that Child was the very Christ. Secondly
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