Sin but the Scripture seems to make them the same Rom. 4. 5 6 7. I think they are so inseparably joined together that no man who has obtained the Pardon of all his Sins ever was or can be at a loss for a Righteousness to compleat his Justification and entitle him to the reward of Eternal Life promised in the Law I conceive the Pardon of all our Sins is a Righteousness we may boldly appear before God in because it lays before God that full satisfaction that Christ made for Sin by his active and passive Obedience which is not only satisfactory for Sin but also meritorious of Eternal Life so that all the ends of Justification are accomplished in the Remission of Sin What precise conceptions we may have of Remission of Sin and imputation of Righteousness as differing in the notion will not argue any real difference in the things themselves We must have a care we do not separate what God has so intimately joined together This hath occasioned all those unhappy Controversies about Justification as I shall shew anon They who want a sufficient Justifying Righteousness after the full Remission of all their Sins do not rightly resolve Remission of Sin into the proper procuring causes of it viz. the satisfaction that Christ made for Sin by what he did and suffered for us from his Birth to his Death so it became him to fulfil all Righteousness that he might be the end of the Law for Righteousness to them who Believe So that Christ himself is our Righteousness the Lord Jehovah our Righteousness the Law is as well satisfied with what Christ hath Done and Suffered for us as if we our selves and perfectly kept the Law or Died by it for our Sins 'T is dangerous separating Christ and his Righteousness as if we were to derive a justifying-Righteousness from Christ distinct from the Person of Christ This notion has insensibly led men to seek a Righteousness in themselves not wrought out for them but wrought in them by Christ this indeed is the right way of Sanctification but not of our Justification The Scripture directs us to seek our Justification in the Person of Christ only by Receiving him Believing in him to them is Remission of Sin Promised and everlasting life John 1. 12. John 3. 15 16. John 6. 40 47. Rom. 4. 5. Rom. 3. 26. Acts 10. 43. Acts 26. 18. Some do too nicely distinguish between freedom from Punishment and a right to eternal Life as if one could be obtained without the other which is impossible Certainly not to Die is to Live not to Die eternally is to Live eternally the expulsion of Darkness is the bringing in of Light He who is counted worthy to escape the Punishment threatned by Law is worthy to receive the Reward promised by Law I see not what should hinder it since no fault of Omission or Commission can be charged upon him whose Sins are Pardoned If after the full Remission of all our Sins we were to receive eternal Life from the Law then some Righteousness distinct from Pardon a Righteousness wrought by our selves after Pardon would be antecedently necessary to our justification unto life But that is not so for every Pardoned Sinner receives eternal Life from the hand of Free-Grace as the Gift of God freely given without any consideration of any works of Righteousness done by us Gal. 2. 6. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified If there had been law which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the law Gal. 3. 21. But since the Law does not give Life therefore that Righteousness that lets us into eternal Life is not of the Law but that of Faith Phil. 3. 9. The Law admits of no Pardon allows of none is not at all concerned about that matter but seeks its own satisfaction in a way of strict justice the Law is all for Justice Mercy comes in by another Covenant 'T was never in the nature and constitution of the Law to give life to a Sinner the Law can't do that Rom. 8. 3. It can give life to a Righteous man but not to a Sinner The Law will prosecute him to death 't would act contrary to it self to its own eternal Sanction and declared judgment if it should do otherwise and therefore the Law as a Covenant of Life and Death is fully determined in the Death of Christ towards all Believers who are no longer under the Law but under Grace Yet I say the rigour of the Law in it self is not relaxed by the Pardon of Sin only it does not exert its condemning power upon the persons of Believers because Christ has already Suffered for their Sins but still the Law remains and ever will remain a Sin-condemning and Sin-avenging Law it has as much power as ever to stay the Sinner but it can slay him but once and the stroke of the Law is so heavy in that case that it need not smite him a second time Christ indeed being God as well as Man recovered from that deadly blow the Law gave him for our Sins and so saved himself and us Here is no relaxation of the Law but a full execution of it full satisfaction given to it the whole debt is paid to the utmost farthing by Christ our surety Now all the Life Glory and Happiness that follows upon this comes in by Grace Christ having Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law and the Law being fully satisfied cannot be against any thing that Christ shall do for his Redeemed ones he may freely bestow what he will upon them having brought them under a Covenant of Grace he may and he will pursue that Covenant to the utmost towards them for their good till he has made them as happy as infinite Love and Grace can make them Sin being taken away and expiated by the Death of Christ Believers do pass over of course into his Life they Rise with him he who has called us into a Communion with him in his Death will not deny us Communion with him in his Life and Resurrection otherwise the benefits accruing to us by his Death in a freedom from Punishment would never have made us happy had we been quite shut out from his Life 't was for that end he Died for us that we might Live for ever in him by him and with him The Law and the works of the Law contribute nothing to this Life and for our Evangelical Holiness that is but the fruit and effect of this eternal Life derived from Christ already begun in us and exerting it self gradually according to the measure of our imperfect Sanctification here All our Evangelical works are but so many expressions of that new Life
favour of God for us and a right to all the blessings promised in the Gospel and his Spirit effectually applies all this to us and works all this in us 3. Remission of sin as it is held forth and offered in the Gospel presupposes nothing in man as the cause and condition of it moving God to pardon him but only denotes God's gracious Indulgence towards him not reckoning his sin to him upon his believing in Christ see how pardoning Grace finds us Col. 2. 13. And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickned together with him having forgiven you all trespasses So Heb. 8. 10 11 12. God does not eye any Qualifications in us but promises to do all himself I will and they shall c. 'T is objected That Faith is the beginning of Sanctification and if Faith be required unto Justification then some part at least of our Sanctification is required unto justification Answ. No part at all for though Faith be a supernatural Principle infused by God in order to our Sanctification as well as our Justification yet it first Justifies before it Sanctifies I speak of Faith now not in its first Principle but in its first actings I say it first acts upon Christ by receiving him before it begins actually to sanctify us there is a great difference between the Instrumentality of Faith in receiving Christ for our Justification and the efficacy of Faith applying Christ received for our Sanctification to speak properly 't is not God's working Faith but Faith working in us and upon us that Sanctifies God always gives Christ in and with our first Faith for Justification and Pardon this must be first finished and compleated before Faith will or can begin to sanctifie us because Faith fetches all its sanctifying Virtue from Christ received but our first act of receiving Christ is that that justifies Sanctification always follows upon it and is gradually carried on by a justifying Faith to our lives end in is not pardoned because it is mortified but because it is pardoned therefore it 's mortified Remission of sin presupposes no real change in the man himself as moving God thereunto Neither does remission of sin alter the nature of sin but only the state of the Sinner his sin is not imputed to him To forgive sin is not to remember it Jer. 31. 34. There 't is but God won't look towards it his thoughts are so taken up with the blood of Christ and the Interest that Believers have in that blood that he willingly forgets their sins he will not deal with them after their sins nor reward them according to their iniquities Psal 103. 10. And that they may be sure of this he casts their sins into the depths of the sea Mich. 7. 19. As far as the east is from the west so far hath he removed our transgression from us Psal. 103. 12. Not only from himself but from us he sees no iniquity in Jacob. If pardoning Grace does not presuppose but make a real change in a man for the better yet forasmuch as we are imperfectly Sanctified the Pardon of sin and the being and presence of sin may and do consist together in every true Believer here below provided they do not allow themselves in the practise of it 4. Remission of sin is an act of Mercy not Justice yet not contrary to Justice because the sins that are pardoned to us are punished in Christ 't is from God's Justice that he will not pardon sin without satisfaction 't is from his Mercy that he will accept of satisfaction from the hand of another This answers that plausible Objection that is commonly made against our Salvation by Grace viz. Wicked men are condemned for their evil works therefore Saints are justified for their good works Answ. This does not follow because one is an act of Justice and the other of Mercy Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Death is wages due by Law eternal Life is a free gift through Jesus Christ. 5. Remission of sin as 't is an act of Mercy so 't is act of Power too God has Power to forgive sin none but the Creditor can forgive the Debtor God is the greater Creditor and we are all his Debtors against thee only have I sinned therefore God only has Power to forgive sin but yet it is not an act of mere absolute Power neither but an act of Divine Jurisdiction that carries in it a due respect unto the Law which God as the righteous Judge and most wise Governour of the world will not violate Therefore Remission of Sin under this provision that God has made in Christ for the satisfaction of his Law and Justice is called Justification Rom. 4. 5 6. God is Just as well as Merciful in Pardoning Sin Rom 3. 25 26. So that Pardon flows from the Love of God acting towards us for Christ's sake i. e. upon the account of his Merit and Satisfaction which respect the Justice of God The truth is the satisfaction of Christ is the foundation of Pardon this satisfaction lyes in the expiatory Sacrifice offered by Christ upon the Cross hence expiation or atonement is joyned with pardon in Scripture Numb 15. 25. Levit. 4. 20. The priest was to make an atonement that the sin should be forgiven An expiatory Sacrifice led the way to forgiveness under the Law and so it does now under the Gospel without shedding of Blood there is no remission of sin If you have not the Blood of Christ is your eye when you go to God for Pardon never think to speed CHAP. IV. The APPLICATION I Shall shut up all with a word of Exhortation urging every one of you to a frequent deep serious consideration of this grand fundamental truth concerning the only way of Salvation by the remission of sin through Faith in Christ Jesus I know the time will shortly come when all our Notions and Disputes must be resolved into our believing or not believing in Christ for Pardon of sin therefore be perswaded to begin your Religion in pure Faith trusting in Christ only for the remission of all your sins through the merit of his Blood begin here lay this as the Foundation of all your Religion make this sure and then you will more clearly see upon what account you stand righteous before God if you joyn any thing with Christ here and miss your way in the first setting out you 'll go wider and wider from the Gospel every stop you take and be forced to wrest the Scriptures all along to make good your first grand mistake therefore I say beg of God to bring your hearts to a true reliance upon the free-Grace and Mercy of God in Christ Jesus for the pardon of all your sins Take this as a clue in your hands to guide you into such an understanding of all other truths as is consonant to this
to thrive under Ordinances In the Description of John Baptist's Office we may see the nature use and end of a Gospel Ministry all must be called to that Office who are imployed in it they must prepare the way and seek to lead their Hearers to Christ Preaching remission of sin through faith in him shewing how all flows from the tender Mercy of God setting forth Christ as the true light of them who sit in darkness c. Before Christ's time the Patriarchs Priests Levites and Prophets carried on this Ministry After Christ's Incarnation John the Baptist was the first Gospel-Minister after him the Apostles and Evangelists by an extraordinary Call then Pastors and Teachers as the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel who continue still in the Church and whose duty still it is to seek the Salvation of their Hearers and Hearers should come to learn the way of Salvation by Christ. To give knowledge of Salvation c. Not that Preachers can infuse knowledge into their Hearers none but God can do this as Dan. 1. 17. There the words have a greater Emphasis than here when applied to men who only prepare the way by Instruction afford some outward help to bring us to the knowledge of Salvation they do aditum patefacere they prepare the way make it plain lay it open setting before you the credenda what you are to believe and do they tell you what way and method what manner and means God has made choice of to bring about Salvation for they give us notice of all this speaking in a plain familiar manner that men may know what is contained in the Bible what the main drift and scope of the Gospel is which we cannot be ignorant of when it 's told us in such plain and intelligible terms which if we do not stop our ears will inform us whether we will or no of the History of the Bible we cannot but conceive something of the matter they are willingly ignorant who being so taught yet slight all they hear and won't regard it where there has been such an outward manifestation of the Truth we may say as 2 Cor. 4. 2 3. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost Ministers should do what in them lies to help the understanding of their Hearers bringing down things to their Capacities giving the sense and causing the people to understand the reading Neh. 8. 8. This is the way for a Minister to save himself and them that hear him 1 Tim. 4. 16. Many common Hearers can't understand what they read and hear unless some man guide them as the Eunuch said of himself Act. 8. 30 31. When we have in handling the word commended our selves to every man's Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. 2. we must leave the success of our Ministry to him whether the word be a savour of life or death to him Paul may Plant and Apollo may Water but it 's God who giveth all the encrease You see how Ministers give the Knowledge of Salvation by Publishing the Gospel i. e. by Preaching Christ Rom. 16. 25. They say to the People what the Angel did to the Shepherds Luk. 2. 10 11. Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. A great multtitude of the Heavenly Host join with the Angel in praising God for his good will towards men v. 14. This is the Ministers work now to declare these glad Tidings this faithful saying so worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Christ commanded his Apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature Mark 16. 15. To tell them plainly there is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved but the name of Christ. One would think this were enough to set all the world upon enquiring after Christ. But who hath believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed Men will not receive this Testimony that God hath given of his Son We who are Ministers cannot finish our course with joy and the ministry which we have received of the Lord Jesus if we do not testifie of the gospel of the grace of God Act. 20. 24. And as for me I would say with Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you and to shew you the good and the right way He that hath ears to hear let him hear Having shewed what this knowledge or notice is which Ministers give to the People of the way of Salvation by Christ I shall now speak something of the notice the People take of this how they resent it how they receive it what impression it makes upon the generality of Professors They assent to it seem to be convinced of it and do profess to believe it but in such a cold careless manner that they are not at all concerned in the matter Putting the greatest cheat upon themselves that can be 't is below the reason of a man in all it 's other actings to counterfeit knowledge in things so nearly relating to himself and of so dreadful a consequence if neglected and not strictly attended to to profess to believe in Christ for Salvation and yet never come to him for that Salvation never deal with him about it is such a gross piece of Hypocrisy and self-deceit that one would wonder men should be guilty of Such a formal profession comes not from any true conviction or real belief of what they profess but from custom education and a desire to be like other men they walk in the shadow of other mens Religion who have none of their own they take up the name of Believers and say they have Faith when they know or may know they have none such a feigned Faith undoes Thousands Since they say they have Faith and profess it how does it appear they have it not Appear Ans. As plain as the Sun at Noon If a man say he is convinced there is but one remedy in the whole World that can cure that disease he is sick of and yet refuse it when it 's offered to him I am sure if he be in his right Wits he lyes in saying he is so convinc'd what convinced that his House is on fire and yet not call out for help and seek to quench it or that this is a Cup of Poyson in his hand and yet drink it off This is to take away the force and power of reason over man to make him unconcerned in and for himself even when he is under the greatest sense of imminent danger that such a through conviction must needs bring him to nothing brings things nearer to a man's reason then conviction does 't is an Act of the understanding by which he owns and acknowledges that for truth which he
witness whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son and with a pure conscience 2 Tim. 1. 3. void of offence towards God Acts 24. 16. In simplicity and godly sincerity 2 Cor. 1. 12. When with our minds we serve the law of God Rom. 7. 25. God is a Spirit and will be Worshipped in spirit and truth You have reason to enure your selves to this Spiritual worship because ere long you will be all Spirit when you have laid down these earthly tabernacles I mean it is the will of God that the Souls of men should after death live a while out of the body in a separate state till the Resurrection conversing with an innumerable company of Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect Though Believers now are Spiritually joined to the general Assembly of the First-born and in the apprehensions of their Faith do rejoyce in that relation they stand in to the Church-triumphant yet after death they will have actual communion with those blessed Spirits above though we cannot so clearly apprehend what this happy Paradisical state is after death yet those who are spiritually minded conceive so much of it by Faith as makes them long to be dissolved and to be with Christ they grow weary of all earthly converses waiting till their change comes that they may enter into rest from all their Labours and from that hard travel of Soul which they cannot be freed from till their warfare be fully accomplish'd then they put off their Armour as more than Conquerors and sit down in an everlasting Peace with palms in their hands and crowns upon their heads triumphing in the Grace of Christ to all Eternity Could we look through the dark Entry of the Grace into Eternity lifting up our heads within the Vail we should see a Glorious Light that would dazzle our eyes we should have a stronger taste of the powers of the world to come The wiser sort of Heathens were not without some thoughts of a future happy estate they did praesentire in posterum They had some bodings in their minds of some great good or evil that should befal them after death What a shame is it for Christians to be so little affected with the future eternal state of their Immortal Souls Believers while they are in this world are joyned to the Lord in one Spirit i. e. in one spiritual body or in the same spiritual nature with Christ Heb. 2. 11. We live the life of Christ the Head and the Members being acted by the same Spirit Christians have not every one a diverse spirit as every man hath a divers Soul numerically distinct from the Soul of another man but as all Members of the Body have the same Soul though each of them divers operations Rom. 12. 4. so we have all of us one and the same Spirit though the operations of it be divers 1 Cor. 12. 4 13. Therefore if there be any fellowship of the Spirit let us glorifie God in our bodies and in our spirits which are God's CHRIST The ONLY MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT HEB. XII 24. And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant BEfore I speak to the Words of the Text I shall premise Two Things 1. Compare the Covenant of Grace with the Covenant of Works shewing in what they agree and in what they differ 2. Compare the New Covenant with the Mount Sinai-Covenant CHAP. I. Christ the ONLY Mediator c. FIRST I shall Compare the Covenant of Works with the Covenant of Grace in sundry particulars 1. The Covenant of Grace frees a Sinner from two things which by the Covenant of Works are in force against him 1. From the Curse 2. From perfect Obedience as a Condition of life to be performed by man himself My meaning is That the Covenant of Grace does not take away the Condition of perfect obedience but only the Performance of it by us It is enough that Christ hath performed it for us by whose Obedience we are made Righteous 2. The Covenant of Grace is so far a friend to the Covenant of Works or rather to the Good Works commanded by that Covenant that it takes in all the moral Duties of that Covenant they are as much our Duty now under the Gospel as they were under the Law and our coming short in any of them is as much our sin now as then we ought as much to strive against it nay which is more than could be expected under the Law we are called to repent of it The Law neither gave Grace to repent neither did it admit of any Repentance You see how little countenance the Covenant of Grace rightly understood gives to Licentiousness how much it promotes Holiness even the perfection of Holiness For when all the Grace of that Covenant is given forth it will issue in Perfection then the Saints will be perfect The reason why under the Gospel imperfect Obedience is accepted is not because the Imperfections of it are approved but because they are pardoned and covered 3. The Covenant of Works shews what man must do to be justified The Covenant of Grace what a justified man ought to do how he should carry himself ever after towards God Holiness of life by the Covenant of Works went before Justification as the procuring meritorious cause of it but according to the Covenant of Grace it is the consequent or effect of Justification 4. The Covenant of Grace in the application of it to us begins in the pardon of sin No Grace reaches us till pardoning Grace begins with us we are under a curse till then concluded or shut up under wrath but pardoning Mercy opens the door for all manner of Mercies to enter in turns the whole stream and course of God's Grace towards us Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven c. Psalm 32. 1. This leads the way to all other blessings 5. In the Covenant of Grace God declares what he will be to us and do for us and also what he will enable us to be to him and to do for his Glory his free Grace undertakes both Parts of the Covenant 6. The Covenant of Grace presupposes full satisfaction made by Christ for all our sins against the Covenant of Works else God would not be just in justifying a Believer Rom. 3. 25 26. 7. The Covenant of Grace finds nothing in man to commed him to God but what it brings along with it To suppose any preparatory qualifications conditions causes or motives to make way for us into the favour of God does quite overthrow the nature of free Grace and take off greatly from the glory of it 1. None can have an interest in the Covenant of Grace or be said in a Gospel sence to be in Covenant in whom the essential parts of the Covenant are not already in some measure fulfilled viz. To have the Law written in their heart to have a right Spirit put into us to own God for our God to delight in
his Law in the inward man these are so far from being conditions of the Covenant giving us an interest in it that they are rather the Covenant it self fulfilled in us which is an undeniable proof of our being in Covenant 9. The New Covenant does not so much imply an outward Law or Rule of government set before us as an inward Law or rather a spirit and principle of Love and Obedience inclining us to a willing performance of all those Duties that either Law or Gospel call for The Covenant of Grace brings forth a new creature created in Christ Jesus unto good works that he should walk in them you put a force upon the new creature if you turn him out of his walk By the Covenant of Grace our Justification hangs not upon doing but upon believing That which much perplexes the point of Justification is the separating of Faith and Justification too far asunder which hath many ill consequences in it 1. If you suppose Faith as a quality pre-existing in the Soul before Justification and standing a while alone by it self in order to our Justification this lets in previous qualifications in us as necessary to Justification And if Faith as a quality in us have any causal influence into our justification so must Repentance and all good Works which are linked to it This lets us into a justification by Works of our own doing and by qualities inherent in our selves which is downright Popery 2. If we place our personal Justification before Faith this runs us up to an actual Justification of our persons from eternity which is of as ill consequence as the former Therefore the safest way is to put them both togethet What God hath joined let no man put asunder He that believes is justified and he that is justified Believes there can be no justification without Faith nor no true Faith without justification God's act in justifying doth symphonize and correspond to our act in Believing There cannot be actual giving without actual receiving one is naturally necessary to the other I know Faith and Justification are different notions and may in our way of speaking and expression be put one before the other but the things themselves are always together God justifies us by working Faith in us The Covenant of Grace requires nothing to be done by us as an antecedent moral condition or procuring cause of our Justification it supposes Faith in all who actually partake of the Grace of this Covenant Nay the Covenant of Grace I mean the outward proposal of the terms of the New Covenant is an outward means appointed by God for the working or begetting of Faith in us Faith comes by hearing i. e. by hearing the Doctrine of our Redemption by Christ and this Faith so wrought by hearing the Word disposes the Soul ever after to Repentance and new obedience which are the inseparable effects of Faith in all who are justified He who doth not shew his Faith by his Works is no sound Believer Though it be commonly said by many That Repentance is in order to justification the sense cannot be that Repentance is instrumentally necessary to justification as Faith is Do but keep up the different relation that Faith hath to justification from all other Graces and good Works and we shall quickly understand one another and not confound Faith and Works together in our justification We may differ in our expressions but that should make no real difference if the same thing be meant and intended This account of Faith or to this effect for I will tie none to my words does answer all the ends of true Religion it exalts Christ ascribes our free Justification and Pardon to him and his Righteousness only it secures our own Souls it suppresses and discountenances all Vice all licentious loose living it establishes the Law as a Rule of life it promotes all practical Holiness by the most forcible motives that can be We can never keep up Religion in the power of it if we do not keep up the plain notion of it in the sense that is commonly received by all sober sincere Christians Arguings pro and con may have their use among the Learned but still let us be sure to sail by the Pole-Star to keep that in our Eye as a fixed point that governs all our motions My meaning is this let us ultimately resolve Religion in the main fundamentals of it into such naked simple truths as may fall under the capacity of all plain meaning Christians that they may know what we Believe and what we Profess That we all aim at the same thing in our Preaching and that the same Spirit may still appear in all the diversity of gifts that is among us The reason why the Apostle Gal. 3. 17. calls the Mount Sinai-Covenant a Law is because the Mount Sinai-Covenant is a mixt Covenant made up partly of the Law and partly of the Gospel and the Apostle in that place opposes the Legalities of the Sinai-Covenant to the promise made to Abraham There was no reason why he should oppose the Gospel part of the Sinai-Covennat to the Covenant with Abraham for they were both the same they were coincident there was no opposition between them therefore he calls the Mount Sinai-Covenant a Law in opposition to the Covenant of pure Grace made with Abraham The Covenant of Works made with Adam as to any benefit from it ceased at the entrance of sin which laid all mankind under a curse This curse cannot be taken away but by a New Covenant you see how sin disordered the whole world put all things out of frame God's Government of the world as to the outward administration of it must be altered or else the whole world must be destroyed there must be a new Constitution a new Covenant What havock did sin make in one day that put God upon a second Creation making all things new casting all into a new mould to prevent the utter destruction of all mankind that otherwise must have ensued This Covenant of Grace may be considered Four ways 1. In the promise of the seed of the Woman made to Adam at least in his hearing couched in the threatning denounced against the Serpent Gen. 3. 15. 2. In the Promise made to Abraham Gen. 17. 7. 3. In the Mount Sinai-Covenant with all Israel Exod. 19. 8. this Covenant had the nature of a Testament therefore confirmed by Death hence beasts slain in Sacrifice Heb. 9. 16 18. 4. In the New Covenant with Jews and Gentiles now under the Gospel CHAP. II. SEcondly See Mr. Petto â—n this Subject The comparison of the New Covenant made with Jews and Gentiles now under the Gospel with the Mount Sinai-Covenant made with the Jews only under the Law When Abraham's Posterity grew numerous even into a Nation then commenced the Mount Sinai-Covenant containing the moral judicial and ceremonial Laws given not with an intent to disannul the Promise made Four hundred and thirty
a one Can any good thing come out of Nazareth When the Apostles Preached the Mystery of Christ's Incarnation how he was Born of a Virgin what Miracles he did how he was Crucified how he rose from the Dead ascended up to Heaven and should come again to judg the World the Jews were offended did not believe these things to be true Rom. 9. 33. Luke 2. 34. They saw nothing but weakness in the Doctrine of the Gospel therefore the Jews require a Sign v. 32. Signs and Wonders were to evidence the power of those who wrought them Moses confirmed his Doctrine by many Signs and Wonders so must you say the Jews to Christ and his Apostles if you would have us to follow you The Jews were used to Signs and Wonders from the beginning as appears in the Old Testament so they were instructed in the Wilderness Deut. 32. 10. and convinced of the power of God Psal. 77. 14. ad finem This made them so desirous of Signs under the New Testament Hence that Complaint Psal. 74. 9. We see not our Signs we would fain see Signs as Mat. 12. 38. Master we would see a Sign from thee So Mat. 16. 1. Luke 11. 16. Joh. 2. 18. Zacharias erred in this Luke 1. 18. The Jews are sharply reproved by Christ for this Mat. 16. 4. The Signs and Miracles by which the Gospel was already confirmed should have satisfied them the Jews did not require a Sign as Abraham Gideon and Hezekiah did for the strengthning of their Faith but out of Curiosity and contempt of Christ and the Gospel resolving never to be satisfied they must have Sign after Sign they thought it absurd to trust in a Crucified Christ to expect life from death that he who did not save himself should be able to save them Unbelief you see wants not its seeming reasons to fortify it self against the Gospel Besides they saw that such a Profession of Faith in Christ exposed them to Sufferings which made them the more against it Gal. 5. 11. And unto the Greeks foolishness By Greeks here we understand all Gentiles who received all their Wisdom and Learning from the Greeks or Jews and Gentiles are contradistinguished thus One had the Written Law the other had not Rom. 2. 12 13 14. The Greeks would have the Mysteries of the Gospel made out by Reason else they reject them as foolishness they count that foolishness which transcends their Wisdom they thought the Gospel an idle Fancy a very simple absurd Doctrine they required Philosophical reasons which as men they might comprehend proving Christ in a Logical way to be what the Scripture says he is Moses magna dicit sed nihil probat say Galen Pliny and Julian They wanted Logical Demonstrations of Scripture Mysteries from the true natural Causes of them which cannot be for then they would not be Mysteries if Flesh and Blood could understand them Mat. 16. 17. Thus you see both Jew and Gentile all sorts of men unregenerate have something to say against the Gospel they set themselves studiously to object against it All Unbelievers stand it out with God hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred both Disobedient and Unbelieving as Acts 26. 19. Acts 14. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Eph. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But unto them that are called c. v. 24. i. e. Effectually called to believe 't is by our actual believing that we answer to an effectual Call by which we are called to the Obedience of Faith and when we believe we obey God's Call Rom. 1. 5 6. Such are called according to his purpose Rom. 8. 28. You see the different opinion the Converted and Unconverted have of Christ highly to prize Christ is a sign of true Conversion and to under-value him to speak slightly of him or his Doctrine is a sign of the contrary Paul here opposes the Judgment of those who are Called whether Jews or Greeks to the Judgment of the Uncalled concerning Christ Would you know what Christ is consult with Believers they know him he is precious to them never regard what the blind World says of him but hear what the Saints say what Believers say who know him best I confess 't is a shame and a reproach not to be excused that Christians do not magnifie Christ more I remember I have read of one who professed he knew not which was the greater wonder that Believers love Christ no more or that Unbelievers do hate him so much no doubt the former is far the greater wonder that they who know him so well should love him no better than that they who know him not at all should hate him so much their blindness and ignorance runs them into that gross mistake but what can cold lukewarm Believers plead who have so much light and yet so little love Both Jews and Greeks i. e. All sorts of Believers of what Countrey Condition or outward state soever they all agree in this viz. That Christ is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 't is common to all Saints and proper to them only as Saints and Believers to have a high opinion of Christ. Christ the power of God God shewed his power in Creating the World by Christ as God John 1. 3. and by Redeeming it by Christ as God-man Christ in his Divine Nature is the God of Power a mighty one Isa. 9. 6. A rock Isa. 32. 2. A Lyon for his strength Rev. 5. 5. So Angels are called Principalities and Powers for their strength Col. 1. 16. As they are called Intelligences for their Wisdom which is very great a Sam. 14. 17. To discern good and bad They are continually prying into the Doctrine of the Gospel 1 Pet. 1. 12. Exod. 37. 9. They look to the Mercy-seat a Type of Christ. We are now shewing how Christ the Mediator is the power of God by whom great things have been done 1. God by Christ satisfies his Justice and yet saves the Sinner he reconciles Justice and Mercy together Psal. 85. 10 11. They both act to the height towards a Sinner The Salvation of a Sinner is the greatest instance of Justice and Mercy as ever was what is purchased is also freely given he is our righteousness giving us right to eternal Life as well as our ransom saving us from eternal Death Jer. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is made unto us Righteousness as well as Redemption 2 Cor. 5. 21. 2. Christ bore the wrath of God without sinking or fainting under it Isa. 53. 4. 3. Christ hath overcome the devil death and the world Heb 2. 14. Hos. 13. 14. John 16. 33. He is stronger than the strong man Luke 11. 21. 22. 4. Christ preserves his Church against all the most potent Enemies thereof Mat. 16. 18. 5. Christ maintains a little Grace in his Children amidst many strong corruptions and lusts Grace is but a little grain and yet it lives and thrives 't is an abiding seed 1 John 3. 5.