of God Angels and Devils But I say if thou dost believe these things indeed thou dost believe that then so long ago even before thou wast born he did bear thy Sins in his own Body which then was Hanged on the Tree and never before nor since that thy old Man was then Crucified with him namely in the same Body then Crucified see 1 Pet. 2. 24. and Rom. 6. 6. This is non-sense to them that believe not but if thou do indeed believe thou seest it so plain and yet such a Mystery that it makes thee wonder But in the third Place this glorious Doctrine of the New Covenant and the Mediator thereof will serve for the comforting and the maintaining of the comfort of the Children of the New Covenant this way also that is that he did not only dye and rise again but that he did ascend in his own Person into Heaven to take possession thereof for me to prepare a Place there for me standeth there in the second part of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring me safe in my coming thither and to present me in a glorious manner without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that he is there exercising of his Priestly Office for me pleading the 〈◊〉 of his own Righteousness for me and the vertue of his Blood for me That he is there ready to answer the Accusations of the Law Devil and Sin for me Here thou mayest through Faith look the very Devil in the Face and Rejoyce saying O Satan I have a precious Jesus a Soul comforting Jesus a Sin-pardoning Jesus Here thou mayest hear the biggest thunder-crack that the Law can give and yet not be daunted Here thou mayest say O Law thou may'st roar against Sin but thou can'st not reach me thou may'st Curse and Condemn but not my Soul for I have a righteous Jesus a holy Jesus a Soul-saving Jesus and he hath delivered me from thy Threats from thy Curses from thy Condemnatious I am out of thy reach and out of thy bounds I am brought into another Covenant under better promises promises of Life and Salvation free promises to comfort me without my Merit even through the Blood of Jesus the satisfaction given to God for me by him therefore though thou lay'st my Sins to my charge and sayest thou wilt prove me Guilty yet so long as Christ is above ground and hath brought in everlasting righteousness and given that to me I shall not fear thy threats thy charges thy Soul-searing Denunciations my Christ is all hath done all and will deliver me from all that thou and whatsoever else can bring an Accusation against me Thus also thou may'st say when Death assaulteth thee O Death where is thy sting Thou may'st bite indeed but thou canst not devour I have comfort by and through the one Man Jesus Jesus Christ he hath taken thee Captive and taken away thy strength he hath pierced thy Heart and let out all thy Soul destroying Poyson therefore though I see thee I am not afraid of thee though I feel thee I am not daunted thou hast lost thy sting in the side of the Lord Jesus through him I overcome thee and set foot upon thee Also O Satan though I hear thee grumble and make a hellish Noise and tho thou threaten me very highly yet my Soul shall Triumph over thee so long as Christ is alive and can be heard in Heaven so long as he hath broken thy Head and won the field of thee so long as thou art in Prison and canst not have thy desire I therefore when I hear thy Voice do pitch my Thoughts on Christ my Saviour and do hearken what he will say for he will speak comfort he saith he hath got the Victory and doth give to me the Crown and causeth me to Triumph through his most glorious Conquest Nay my Brethren the Saints under the Levitical Law who had not the New Covenant sealed or confirmed any further than by promise that it should be I say they when they thought of the glorious Privileges that God had promised should come though at that time they were not come but seen afar off how confidently were they perswaded of them and embraced them and were so fully satisfied as touching the certainty of them that they did not stick at the parting with all for the enjoying of them Heb. 11. How many times doth David in the Psalms admire triumph and perswade others to do so also through the Faith that he had in the thing that was to be done Also Job in what Faith doth he say he should see his Redeemer though he had not then shed one drop of Blood for him yet because he had promised so to do and this was signified by the blood of Bulls and Goats Also Samuel Isaiah Jeremiah Zechariah c. how gloriously in confidence did they speak of Christ and his Death Blood Conquest and everlasting Priest-hood even before he did manifest himself in the flesh which he took of the Virgin We that have lived since Christ have more ground to hope than they under the Old Covenant had though they had the Word of the Just God for the ground of their Faith Mark They had only the Promise that he should and would come but we have the assured fulfilling of those Promises because he is come they were told that he should spill his Blood but we do see he hath spilt his Blood They ventured all upon his standing Surety for them but we see he hath fulfilled and that faithfully too the Office of his Suretiship in that according to the engagement he hath redeemed us poor Sinners They ventured on the New Covenant though not actually Sealed only because they judged him faithfull that had promised Heb. 11. 11. but we have the Covenant Sealed all things are compleatly done even as sure as the Heart-Blood of a crucified Jesus can make it There is as great a difference between their Dispensation and ours for comfort even as much as there is between the making of a Bond with a promise to Seal it and the sealing of the same It was made indeed in their time but it was not sealed untill the time the Blood was shed on the Mount Calvary and that we might have our Faith mount up with Wings like an Eagle he sheweth us what encouragement and ground of Faith we have to conclude we shall be everlastingly delivered saying Heb. 9. 16 17 18. For where a Testament or Covenant is there must of necessity be the Death of the Testatour for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testatour liveth whereupon neither the first Testament was dedicated without Blood As Christ's Blood was the Confirmation of the New Covenant yet it was not sealed in Abraham Isaac or Jacob's days to confirm the Covenant that God did tell them of and yet they believed therefore we ought to give the more earâ—est heed to believe the
continueth not in all things that continueth not in all things mark that which are written in the Book of the Law to do them but if a man do keep all the Law of God his whole life time only sin one time before he dies that one sin is a breach of the Law and he hath not continued in doing the things contained therein For for to continue according to the sense of this Scripture is to hold on without any failing either in thought word or deed therefore I say though a man do walk up to the Law all his life time but only at the very last sin one time before he die he is sure to perish for ever dying under that Covenant For my Friends you must understand that the Law of God is yea as well as the Gospel and as they that are under the Covenant of Grace shall surely be saved by it so even so they that are under the Covenant of Works and the Law they shall surely be damned by it if continuing there This is the Covenant of Works and the nature of it Namely not to bate any thing no not a mite to him that lives and dies under it I tell thee saith Christ thou shalt not depart thence that is from under the Curse till thou hast paid the very last mite Luke 12. 59. 5. Again you must consider that this Law doth only condemn words and actions as I said before but it hath authority to condemn the most secret thought of the heart being evil so that if thou do not speak any word that is evil as swearing lying jesting dissembling or any other word that tendeth to or savoureth of sin yet if there should chance to pass but one vain thought thorow thy heart but once in all thy life time the Law taketh hold of it accuseth and also will condemn thee for it You may see one instance for all in the fifth of Matthew at the 27 28. verses where Christ saith That though a man do not lie with a woman carnally yet if he do but look on her and in his heart lust after her he is counted by the Law being rightly expounded such a one that hath committed the sin and thereby hath laid himself under the condemnation of the Law And so likewise of all the rest of the commands if there be any thought that is evil do but pass thorow thy heart whether it be against God or against man in the least measure though possibly not discerned of thee or by thee yet the Law takes hold of thee therefore and doth by its authority both cast condemn and execute thee for thy so doing The thought of wickedness is sin Prov. 6. Again the Law is of that nature and severity that it doth not only enquire into the generallty of thy life as touching several things whether thou art upright there or no but the Law doth also follow thee into all thy holy duties and watcheth over thee there to see whether thou doest do all things aright there that is to say whether when thou doest pray thy heart hath no wandring thoughts in it whether thou do every holy duty thou doest perfectly without the least mixture of sin and if it do find thee to slip or in the least measure to fail in any holy duty that thou doest perform the Law taketh hold on that and findeth fault with that so as to render all the holy duties that ever thou didst unavailable because of that I say if when thou art a hearing there is out one vain thought or in praying but one vain thought or in any other thing whatsoever let it be civil or spiritual one vain thought once in all thy life time will cause the Law to take such hold on it that for that one thing it doth even set open all the Flood gates of Gods wrath against thee and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—bly by that Covenant it doth bring eternal vengeance upon thee So that I say look which ways thou wilt and fail wherein thou wilt and do it as seldom as ever thou caâ—sto either in civil or spiritual things as aforesaid that is either in the service of God or in thy employments in the world as thy trade or calling either in buying or selling any way in any thing whatsoever I say if in any particular it findeth thee tardy or in the least measure guilty it calleth thee an offender 〈◊〉 accuseth thee to God it puts a stop to all the promises thereof that are joyned to the Law and leaves thee there as a cursed transgressor against God and a destroyer of thy own soul. Here I would have thee by the way for to take notice that it is not my intent at this time to inlarge on the several Commands in particular for that would be very me to write and thee to read only thus much I would have thee to do at the reading hereof make a pause and sit still one quarter of an hour and muse a little in thy mind thus with thy self and say Did I ever break the Law yea or no had I ever in all my life time one sinful thought passed thorough my heart since I was born yea or no and if thou findest thy self guilty as I am sure thou canst not otherwise choose but do unless thou shut thy eyes against thy every days practice then I say conclude thy self guilty of the breach of the first Covenant And when that this is done be sure in the next place thou do not straightway forget it and put it out of thy mind that thou art condemned by the same Covenant and then do not content thy self until thou do find that God hath sent thee a pardon from Heaven through the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator of the second Covenant And if God shall but give thee a heart to take this my counsel I do make no question but these words spoken by me will prove an instrument for the directing of thy heart to the right remedy for the salvation of thy soul. Thus much now touching the Law and the severity of it upon the person that is found under it having offended or broken any particular of it either in thought word or action and now before I do proceed to the next thing I shall answer four objections that do he in my way and also such as do stumble most part of the world The first Objection And first but you will say methinks you speak very harsh it is enough to daunt a body set the case therefore that a man after he hath sinned and broken the Law repenteth of his wickedness and promiseth to do so no more Will not God have mercy then and save a poor sinner then 1. Answ. I told you before that the Covenant once broken will execute upon the offender that which it doth threaten to lay upon him and as for your supposing that your repenting and promising to do so no more may help well and put you
upon the house of Jehu Hos. 1. 4. Seventhly Men may hear and fear the servants of the Lord and reverence them very highly yea and when they 〈◊〉 they may not only hear but hear and do and that gladly too not one or two things but many mark many things gladly and yet be lost and yet be damned see Mar 6. 20. For Herod feared John why not because he had any civil power over him but because he was a just man and holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly it may be that thou thinkest that because thou hearest such and such therefore thou art better than thy neighbours but know for certain that thou mayest not only hear but thou mayest hear and do and that not with a backward will but gladly mark gladly and yet be Herod still an enemy to the Lord Jesus still consider this I pray you 2. But Secondly To the second thing which is this How far may such a one go to what may such a one attain whither may he arrive and yet be an undone man under this Covenant Answ. First Such a one may be received into fellowship with the Saints as they are in a visible way of walking one with another they may walk hand in hand together see Mat. 25. 1. where he saith The Kingdom of Heaven that is a visible company of professors of Christ is likened to ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom five of them were wise and five were foolish These in the first place are called Virgins that is such as are clear from the pollutions of the world Secondly They are said to go forth that is from the rudiments and traditions of men Thirdly They do agree to take their lamps with them that is to profess themselves the Servants of Jesus Christ that wait upon him and for him and yet when he came he found half of them even them Virgins that had Lamps that also went forth from the pollutions of the world and the customs of men to be such as lost their precious souls see verse 10. which they should not have done had they been under the Covenant of Grace and so not under the Law Secondly They may attain to a great deal of honour in the said company of professors that which may be accounted honour in so much that they may be put in trust with Church Affairs and bear the bag as Judas did I speak not this to shame the Saints but being beloved I warn them yet I speak this on purpose that it might if the Lord will knock at the door of the souls of professors consider Demas Thirdly They may attain to speak of the word as Ministers and become preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in so much that the people where they dwell may even take up a Proverb concerning them saying Is he among the Prophets his gifts may be so rare his tongue may be so fluent and his matter may be so fit that he may speak with a tongue like an Angel and speak of the hidden mysteries yea of them all mark that 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3 4. and yet be nothing and yet be none of the Lords anointed ones with the Spirit of grace savingly but may live and die under the Curse of the Law Fourthly They may go yet further they may have the gifts of the Spirit of God which may inable them to cast out Devils to remove the biggest Hills or Mountains in the World nay thou mayest be so gifted as to prephesie of things to come the most glorious things even the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign over all his enemies and yet be but a Balaam a wicked and a mad Prophet see 2 Pet. 2. 16. Numb 24. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. Fifthly they may not only stand thus for a while for a little season but they may stand thus till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with his holy Angels I and not be discovered of the Saints till that very day Then all those Virgins arose the wise and the foolish then when why when this voice was heard Behold the Bridegroom cometh go you out to meet him Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4 5 6. and yet was out of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet was under the Law Sixthly Nay further they may not only continue in a profession till then supposing themselves to be under the Grace of the Gospel when indeed they are under the Curse of the Law but even when the Bridegroom is come they may still be so confident of their state to be good that they will even reason out the case with Christ why they are not let into the Kingdom of glory saying Lord Lord have we not eaten and drunk in thy presence and hast not thou taught in our streets Nay further Have not we taught in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils nay not only this but done many mark we have done many wonderful works nay further they were so confident that they commanded in a commanding way saying Lord open to us See here I beseech you how far these went they thought they had had intimate acquaintance with Jesus Christ they thought he could not chuse but save them they had eat and drunk with him sat at the table with him received power from him executed the same power In thy Name have we done thus and thus even wrought many wonderful works see Mat. 7. 22. Luke 13. 25 26. And yet these poor creatures was shut out of the Kingdom O consider this I beseech you before it be too late lest you say Lord let us come in when Christ saith thrust him out verse 28. Hears you cry Lord open to us when he saith Depart I know you not lest though you think of having joy you have weeping and gnashing of teeth 3. But Thirdly The third thing touched in the question was this What may such a one receive of God who is under the Curse of the Law First They may receive an answer to their Prayers from God at sometimes for some things as they do stand in need of I find in Scripture that God did hear these persons that the Apostle saith was cast out see Gen. 21. 17. And God heard the voice of the Lad even of cast out Ishmael And the Angel of the Lord called to Hagar out of Heaven which was the bond woman and under the Law Gal. 4. 30. and said unto her Fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Friends It may be you may think because you have your prayers answered in some particular things therefore you may suppose that as to your eternal state your condition is very good But you must know that God doth hear the cry of a company of Ishmaelites the sons of the Bond-Woman who are under the Law as a Covenant of Works I do not say he hears them as
the Law command thee to love the Lord thy God with all thy soul with all thy strength with all thy might c. and can the natural man do this Jer. 13. 23. How can those that are accustomed to do evil do that which is commanded in this particular Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Doth the Law command thee to do good and nothing but good and that with all thy soul heart and delight which the Law as a Covenant of Works called for and can'st thou being Carnal do that But there is no man that hath understanding if he should hear thee say so but would say that thou wast either bewitched or stark mad Sixthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because that though they follow the Law or Covenant of Works I say though they follow it it will not lead them to Heaven no but contrariwise it will lead them under the Curse It is not possible saith Paul that any should be justified by the Law or by our following of it for by that is the knowledge of sin and by it we are condemned for the same which is far from leading us to life being the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3. and again Israel that followeth after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by faith but by the Law and by the Works thereof Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Seventhly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they do not know whether ever they shall have any wages for their work or no they shall have no assurance of the pardon of their sins neither any hopes of eternal life but poor hearts as they are they work for they do not know what even like a poor Horse that works hard all day and at night hath a dirty Stable for his pains so thou mayest work hard all the days of thy life and at the day of death instead of having of a glorious rest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou mayest nay thou shalt have for thy sins the damnation of thy soul and body in Hell to all eternity for as much as I said before that the Law if thou sinnest it doth not take notice of any good work done by thee but takes its advantage to destroy and cut off thy soul for the sin thou hast committed Eighthly they that are under the Law are in a sad condition because they are under that administration upon whose souls God doth not smile they dying there for the administration that God doth smile upon his Children through is the Covenant of Grace they being in Jesus Christ the Lord of life and consolation but contrariwise to those that are under the Law for they have his frowns his rebukes his threatnings and with much severity they must be dealt withal For they break my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord Heb. 8. 9. Ninthly they are in a sad condition because they are out of the faith of Christ they that are under the Law have not the faith of Christ in them for that dispensation which they are under is not the administration of faith The Law is not of faith saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 2. Tenthly because they have not received the Spirit for that is received by the bearing of faith and not by the Law nor the Works thereof Gal. 3. 2. Eleventhly in a word if thou live and die under that Covenant Jesus Christ will neither pray for thee neither let thee have one drop of his Blood to wash away thy sins neither shalt thou be so much as one of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven for all these priviledges come to souls under another Covenant as the Apostle saith For such are not under the Law but under Grace that is such as have a share in the benefits of Jesus Christ or such as are brought from under the first Covenant into the second or from under the Law into the Grace of Christs Gospel without which Covenant of Grace and being found in that there is no soul can have the least hope of eternal life no joy in the holy Ghost no share in the priviledges of Saints because they are tied up from them by the limits and bonds of the Covenant of Works For you must understand that these two Covenants have their several bounds and limitations for the ruling and keeping in subjection or giving of freedom to the parties under the said Covenants now they that are under the Law are within the compass and the jurisdiction of that and are bound to be in subjection to that and living and dying under that they must stand and fall to that as Paul saith To his own master he shall stand or fall The Covenant of Grace doth admit to those that are under it also liberty and freedom together with commanding of subjection to the things contained in it which I shall speak to further hereafter But now that the former things may be further made to appear that is what the sad condition of all them that are under the Law is as I have shewn you something of the nature of the Law so also shall I shew that the Law was added and given for that purpose that it might be so with those that are out of the Covenant of Grace First God did give the Law that sin might abound Rom. 5. 20. not that it should take away sin in any but to discover the sin which is already begotten or that may hereafter be begotten by Lust and Satan I say this is one proper work of the Law to make manifest sin it is sent to find fault with the sinner and it doth also watch that it may so do and it doth take all advantages for the accomplishing of its work in them that give ear thereto or do not give ear if it have the rule over them I say it is like a man that is sent by his Lord to see and pry into the labours and works of other men taking every advantage to discover their infirmities and failings and to chide them yea to throw them out of the Lords favour for the same Secondly Another great end why the Lord did add or give the Law it was that no man might have any thing to lay to the charge of the Lord for his condemning of them that do transgress against the same You know that if a man should be had before an Officer or Judge and there be condemned and yet by no Law he that condemns him might be very well reprehended or reproved for passing the Judgment yea the party himself might have better ground to plead for his liberty than the other to plead for the condemning of him but this shall not be so in the judgment day but contrariwise for then every man shall be forced to lay his hand on his mouth and hold his tongue at the Judgment of God when it is passed
to their eternal state but he heareth them as to several streights that they go through in this life I and gives them case and liberty from their trouble Here this poor wretch was almost perished for a little water and he cryed and God heard him yea he heard him out of Heaven Read also the 107 Psalm 23. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Psal. 106. 15. He gave them their desire and sent leanness to their souls But some may say methinks this is yet more strange that God should hear the Prayers the cries of those that are under the Law and answered them Answ. I told you before he doth not hear them as to their eternal state but as to their temporal state For God as their Creator hath a care of them and causeth the sun to shine upon them and the rain to distill upon their substance Mat. 5. 45. Nay he doth give the Beasts in the field their appointed food and doth hear the young Ravens when they cry Psal. 147. 9. which are far inferiour to man I say therefore that God doth hear the cries of his Creatures and doth answer them too though not as to their eternal state but may damn them nevertheless when they die for all that Secondly They may receive promises from the mouth of the Lord. There are many that have had promises made to them by the Lord in a most eminent manner and yet as I said before are such as are cast out and called the Children of the Bond-woman which is the Law see Gen. 21. 17 18. And the Angel of the Lord called out of Heaven to Hagar that was the Bond-woman saying fear not for God hath heard the voice of the Lad where he is Arise lift up the Lad and hold him in thine hand FOR I WILL MAKE OF HIM mark there is the promise For I will make of him of the son of the Bond-woman a great Nation Thirdly Nay they may go further for they may receive another heart than they had before and yet be under the Law There is no man I think but those that do not know what they say that will think or say that Saul was under the Covenant of Grace yet after he had talked with Samuel and had turned his back to go from him saith the Scripture God gave him another heart 1 Sam. 10. 9. another heart mark that and yet an out-cast a rejected person 1 Sam. 15. 26 29. Friends I beseech you let not these things offend you but let them rather beget in your hearts an enquiring into the truth of your condition and be willing to be searched to the bottom and also that every thing which hath not been planted by the Lords right hand may be rejected and that there may be a reaching after better things even the things that will not only make thy soul think thy state is good now but that thou mayest be able to look sin death hell the curse of the Law together with the Judge in the face with comfort having such a real sound effectual work of God Grace in thy soul that when thou hearest the Trumpet sound seest the graves flie open and the dead come creeping forth out of their holes when thou shalt see the Judgment set the books opened and all the world standing before the Judgment seat I say that then thou mayest stand and have that blessed sentence spoken to thy soul Come ye blessed of my Father wherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the Foundation of the World Mat. 25. 34. Object But you wil say for all this we cannot believe that we are under the Law for these reasons As first because we have found a change in our hearts Secondly Because we do deny that the Covenant of Works will save any Thirdly Because for our parts we judge our selves far from legal principles for we are got up into as perfect a Gospel order as to matter of practice and discipline in Church Affairs as any this day in England as we judge Answ. First That mans belief that is grounded upon any thing done in him or by him only that mans belief is not grounded upon the death burial resurrection ascension and intercession of Jesus Christ for that man that hath indeed good ground of his eternal salvation his faith is settled upon that object which God is well pleased or satisfied withal which is that man that was born of Mary even her first-born Son that is he doth apply by faith to his soul the vertues of his death blood righteousness c. and doth look for satisfaction of soul no where else then from that neither doth the soul seek to give God any satisfaction as to justification any other ways but doth willingly and chearfully accept of and embrace the vertues of Christs death together with the rest of his things done by himself on the Cross as a Sacrifice and since also as a Priest Advocate Mediator c. And doth so really and effectually receive the glories of the same That thereby mark that thereby he is changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Thus in general but yet more particular First To think that your condition is good because there is some change in you from a loose prophane life to a more close honest and civil life and conversation I say to think this testimony sufficient for to ground the stress of thy salvation upon is very dangerous First Because such a soul doth not only lay the stress of its salvation besides the man Christ Jesus that died upon the Cross But Secondly Because that his confidence is not grounded upon the Saviour of sinners but upon his turning from gross sins to a more refined life and it may be to the performance of some good duties which is no Saviour I say this is very dangerous therefore read it and the Lord help you to understand it for unless you lay the whole stress of the salvation of your souls upon the merits of another man namely Jesus and that by what he did do and is a doing without you for certain as sure as God is in Heaven your souls will perish And this must not be notionally neither as with an assenting of the understanding only but it must be by the wonderful invisible invincible power of the Almighty God working in your souls by his Spirit such a real saving holy saith that can through the operation of the same Spirit by which it is wrought lay hold on and apply these most heavenly most excellent most meritorious benefits of the man Christ Jesus not only to your heads and fancles but to your very souls and consciences so effectually that you may be able by the same faith to challenge the power madness malice rage and destroying nature either of sin the Law death the Devil together with hell and all other evils throwing your souls upon the death burial resurrection and intercession of that man Jesus without Rom. 8 32
nor in part Isa. 63. 1 2 3 4 5 6. So that he must not be only he with whom the Covenant was made but he must also become the bonds-man or surety thereof and so stand bound to see that all and every particular thing conditioned for should be both in manner and matter at the time and place according to the agreement duly and orderly fulfilled Is not this grace Now as touching the nature of a surety and his work in some things it is well known to most men therefore I shall be very brief upon it First You know a surety is at the bargains making and so was Christ. Then was I by him Prov. 8. 30. Secondly A surety must consent to the terms of the Agreement or Covenant and so did Christ Jesus Now that which he did ingage should be done for sinners according to the terms of the Covenant it was this First That there should be a compleat satisfaction given to God for the sins of the world for that was one great thing that was agreed upon when the Covenant was made Heb. 10. 5. Secondly That Jesus Christ should as aforesaid bring in an everlasting righteousness to cloath his body the Saints withal Dan. 9. 24 25. Here is grace Thirdly That he should take in charge to see all those forth coming without spot or wrinkle at the day of his glorious appearing from heaven to judgment and to quit them before the Judgment-seat Again Thirdly in the work of a surety there is required by the creditor that the surety should stand to what he is bound and on the sureties there is a consenting thereunto First The creditor looks that in case the debtor proves a bankrupt that then the surety should ingage the payment Is not this grace Secondly The creditor looks that the surety should be an able man now our surety was and is in this case every way suitable for he is heir of all things Thirdly The creditor appoints the day and also looks that the Covenant should be kept and the debt paid according to the time appointed and it is required of sureties as well as stewards that they be found faithful namely to pay the debt according to the bargain and therefore it is said When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made under the Law to redeem them that are under the Law according to his suretiship Gal. 4. 4 5. thus comes grace to Saints Fourthly The creditor looks that his money should be brought into his house to his own habitation Jesus our surety in this also is faithful for by his own blood which was the payment he is entred into the holy place even into heaven it self which is Gods dwelling place to render the value and price that was agreed upon for the salvation of sinners but I shall speak more of this in another head therefore I pass it Again fourthly if the surety stands bound the debtor is at liberty and if the Lavv do issue out any process to take any it vvill be the surety and O! hovv wonderful true was this accomplished in that when Christ our surety came down from heaven Gods Law did so seize upon the Lord Jesus and so cruelly handle him and so exact upon him that it would never let him alone until it had accused him and condemned him executed him and scrued his very hearts blood out of his precious heart and side nay and more than this too as I shall shew hereafter But secondly in the next place after that Jesus Christ had stood bound and was become our surety in things pertaining to this Covenant his next office was to be the messenger of God touching his Mind and the tenour of the Covenant unto the poor world and this did the Prophet fore-see long before when he faith Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare thy way before thee speaking of John the Baptist And he shall prepare thy way before thee and then he speaketh of Christ to the people saying And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple Who is he even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in that is Christ behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 3. 1. Now the Covenant being made before between the Father and the Son and Jesus Christ becoming bound to see all the conditions fulfilled this being done he comes down from Heaven to Earth to declare to the world what God the Father and He had concluded on before and what was the mind of the Father towards the world concerning the salvation of their souls and indeed who could better come of such an errand then he that stood by when the Covenant was made then he that shook hands with the Father in making of the Covenant then he that was become a surety in the behalf of poor Sinners according to the terms of this Covenant Now you know a messenger commonly when he cometh he doth bring some errand to them to whom he is sent either of what is done for them or what they would have them whom they send unto do for them or such like Now what a glorious message was that which our Lord Jesus Christ came down from Heaven withal to declare unto poor sinners and that from God his Father I say how glorious was it and how sweet is it to you that have seen your selves lost by nature and it will also appear a glorious one to you who are a seeking after Jesus Christ if you do but consider these follovving things about vvhat he vvas sent First Jesus Christ was sent from Heaven to declare unto the world from God the Father that he was wonderfully filled with love to poor sinners First In that he would forgive their sins Secondly In that he would save their souls Thirdly In that he would make them heirs of his glory For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved John 3. 15 16 18. Secondly God sent Jesus Christ to tell the poor world how that he would do this for poor sinners and yet be just and yet do his Justice no wrong and that was to be done by Jesus Christ his dying of a cursed death in the room of poor sinners to satisfie justice and make way for mercy to take away the stumbling-blocks and set open Heaven-gates to overcome Satan and break off from sinners his chains to set Luke 4. 18. open the prison doors and to let the prisoners go free Isa. 61. 1 2 3. And this was the message that Christ was to deliver to the world by commandment from his Father and this did he tell us when he came of his errand where he saith I lay down my life for my Sheep No man taketh it a way from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it
down and to take it up again and this commandment have I reecived of my Father John 10. 15 16 17 18. even this commandment hath my Father given me that I should both do this thing and also tell it unto you Thirdly He was not only sent as a Messenger to declare this hit Fathers love but also how dearly he himself loved sinners what a heart he had to do them good where he saith All that the Father hath given me shall come to me and let me tell you my heart too saith Christ He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out As my Father is willing to give you unto me even so am I as willing to receive you As my Father is willing to give you Heaven so am I willing to make you fit for it by washing you with my own blood I lay down my life that you might have life and this I was sent to tell you of my Father Fourthly His Message was further he came to tell them how and which way they should come to enjoy these glorious benefits also by laying down motives to stir them up to accept of the benefits The way is laid down in John 3. 14 15. where Christ saith As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up or caused to be hanged on the Cross and die the death That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The way therefore that thou shalt have the benefit and comfort of that which my Father and I have covenanted for thee I am come down from heaven to earth on purpose to give thee intelligence and to certifie thee of it know therefore that as I have been born of a woman and have taken this body upon me it is on purpose that I might offer it up upon the Cross a Sacrifice to God to give him satisfaction for thy sins that his mercy may be extended to thy soul without any wrong done to justice and this thou art to believe and not in the notion but from thy very whole soul. Now the motives are many First If they do not leave their sins and come to Jesus Christ that their sins may be washed away by his blood they are sure to be damned in hell for the Law hath condemned them already John 3. 18 19. Secondly But if they do come they shall have the bosome of Christ to lye in the kingdom of Heaven to dwell in the Angels and Saints for their companions shall shine there like the Sun shall be there for ever shall sit upon the Thrones of Judgment c. Here is Grace Methinks if I had but time to speak fully to all things that I could speak to from these two heavenly Truths and to make application thereof surely with the blessing of God I think it might perswade some vile and abominable wretch to lay down his arms that he hath taken up in defiance against God and is marching hell-wards poste haste with the Devil I say methinks it should stop them and make them willing to look back and accept of salvation for their poor condemned fouls before Gods eternal vengeance is executed upon them O therefore you that are upon this march I beseech you consider a little What shall Christ become a drudge for you and will you be drudges for the Devil Shall Christ covenant with God for the salvation of sinners and shall sinners covenant with Hell Death and the Devil for the damnation of their souls Shall Christ come down from Heaven to Earth to declare this to sinners and shall sinners stop their ears against this good tidings Will you not hear the errand of Christ although he telleth you tidings of peace and salvation How if he had came having taken a command from his Father to damn you and to send you to the Devils in Hell Sinner hear his message he speaketh no harm his words are eternal life all men that give ear unto them they have eternal advantage by them Advantage I say that never hath an end Besides do but consider these two things 't is like they may have some sway upon thy soul. First When he came on his message he came with tears in his eyes and did even weepingly tender the terms of reconciliation to them I say with tears in his eyes And when he came near the City i. e. with his message of peace beholding the hardness of their hearts he wept over it and took up a lamentation over it because he saw they rejected his mercy which was tidings of peace I say wilt thou then slight a weeping Jesus one that so loveth thy soul that rather then he will lose thee he will with tears perswade with thee 2. Not only so but also when he came he came all on a goar blood to proffer mercy to thee to shew thee still how dearly he did love thee as if he had said sinner here is mercy for thee but behold my bloody sweat my bloody wounds my cursed death behold and see what danger I have gone through to come unto thy soul I am come indeed unto thee and do bring thee tidings of salvation but it cost me my heart blood before I could come at thee to give thee the fruits of my everlasting love But more of this anon Thus have I spoken something concerning Christ being the messenger of the New Covenant but because I am not willing to cut too short of what shall come after I shall pass by these things not half touched and come to the other which I promised even now which was to shew you that as there was Levitical Ceremonies in or belonging to the first Covenant so these Types or Levitical Ceremonies did represent the glorious things of the New Covenant In those Ceremonies you read of a Sacrifice of a Priest to offer up the Sacrifice the place where and the manner how he was to offer it of which I shall speak something First As touching the Sacrifice you find that it was not to be offered up of all kind of beasts as of Lions Bears Wolves Tigers Dragons Serpents or such like To signifie that not all kind of Creatures that had sinned as Devils the fallen Angels should be saved but the Sacrifice was to be taken out of some kind of Beasts and Birds to signifie that some of Gods Creatures that had sinned he would be pleased to reconcile them to himself again as poor fallen Man and Woman those miserable Creatures God the God of Heaven had a good look for after their fall but not for the cursed Devils though more noble Creatures by Creation than We. Here is grace Now though these Sacrifices were offered yet they were not offered to the end they should make the comers to or offerers thereof perfect but the things was to represent to the world what God had in after ages for to do which was even the salvation of his Creatures by that offering
for himself as soon as Christ had he been very God as Jesus Christ was For the reason why the posterity of Adam even so many of them as fall short of life must lye broyling in hell to all eternity is this They are not able to give the justice of Gods satisfaction they being not infinite as aforesaid But Christ that is God-man being come an high Priest that is to offer and give satisfaction of good things to comè by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own mark you that but by his own blood he hath entered into the holy place having already obtained eternal redemption for us But how For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an beifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purging of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit who through the power and vertue of his infinite Godhead offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God And for this cause that is for that he is God as well as man and so able to give justice an infinite satisfaction therefore he is the Mediator of the New Covenant that by the means of his death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9. 11 12 13 14 15. as I said before Object This is much but is God contented with this Is he satisfied now in the behalf of sinners by this mans thus suffering If he is then how doth it appear Answ. It is evident yea wonderful evident that this hath pleased him to the full as appeareth by these following Demonstrations First In that God did admit him into his presence yea receive him with joy and musick even with the sound of a Trumpet at his ascension into Heaven Psal. 47. 5. and Christ makes it an argument to his Children that his righteousness was sufficient in that he went to his Father and they saw him no more John 16. 10. Of righteousness saith he because I go to my Father 〈◊〉 ye see me no more As if he had said My Spirit shall shew to the world that I have brought in a sufficient righteousness to justifie sinners withal in that when I go to appear in the presence of my Father on their behalf he shall give me entertainment and not throw me down from heaven because I did not do it sufficiently Again If you consider the high esteem that God the father doth set on the death of his Son you will find that he hath received good content thereby When the Lord Jesus by way of complaint told his Father that he and his merits were not valued to the worth his Father answered It is a light thing that I should give thee O my servant to bring Jacob again I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth Isa. 49. 1 2 3 4 5 6. As if the Lord had said My Son I do value thy death at a higher rate then that thou shouldest save the Tribes of Israel only behold the Gentiles the barbarous Heathens they also shall be brought in as the price of thy blood It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant only to bring or redeem the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth Again You may see it also by the carriage of God the Father to all the great sinners to whom mercy was proffered We do not find that God maketh any objection against them that come to him for the pardon of their sins because he did want a satisfaction suitable to the greatness of their sins There was Manasseth who was one that burnt his children in the fire to the devil 2 Chron. 33. from 1. to 12. that used witchcraft that used to worship the host of heaven that turned his back on the word that God sent unto him nay that did worse than the very heathen that God cast out before the children of Israel Also those that are spoken of Acts 19. 19. that did spend so much time in conjuration and the like Acts 8. for such I judge they were that when they came to burn their books they counted the price thereof to be fifty thousand pieces of Silver Simon Magus also that was a Sorcerer and bewitched the whole City yet he had mercy proffered to him once and again I say it was not the greatness of the sins of these sinners no nor of an innumerable company of others that made God at all to object against the salvation of their souls which justice would have constrained him to had he not had satisfaction sufficient by the blood of the Lord Jesus Nay further I do find that because God the Father would not have the merits of his Son to be undervalued I say he doth therefore freely by his consent let mercy be proffered to the greatest sinners in the first place for the Jews that were the worst of men in that day for blasphemy against the Gospel yet the Apostle proffered mercy to them in the first place It is necessary saith he that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you Acts 13. 46. Acts 3. 26. And Christ gave them commission so to do for saith he Let repentance and remission of sins be preached in my name among all nations and begin mark that begin at Jerusalem Luke 24. 47. Let them that but the other day had their hands up to the elbows in my heart blood have the first proffer of my mercy And saith Paul For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting 1 Tim. 15 16. As the Apostle saith those sinners that were dead possessed with the devil and the children of wrath he hath quickned delivered and saved Ephes. 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. that he might even in the very ages to come shew forth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us and that through Jesus Christ. Secondly It is evident that that which this man did as a common person he did it compleatly and satisfactorily as appears by the openness as I may so call it which was in the heart of God to him at his resurrection and ascension Ask of me saith he and I will give thee the very heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Psal. 2. 8. And this was at his resurrection Acts 13. 33. Whereas though he had asked yet if he had not given a full and compleat
Covenant of Grace speaking first of the publick person under the name of David he saith thus Psal. 89. from the 26. verse to the 37. He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God and the rock of my Salvation Also I will make him my first-born higher then the kings of the earth My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the days of heaven If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgment If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David His seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the Sun before me it shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithful witness in heaven My Covenant shall stand fast with him mark that As if God had said I did not make this Covenant with man but with my Son and with him I will perform it and seeing he hath given me compleat satisfaction though his Children do through infirmity transgress yet my Covenant is not therefore broken seeing he with whom it was made standeth firm according to the desire of my heart so that my justice that is satisfied and 〈◊〉 Law hath nothing to say for there is no want of perfection in the sacrifice of Christ. If you love your souls and would have them live in the peace of God to the which you are called in one body even all Believers then I beseech you seriously to ponder and labour to settle in your souls this one thing that the New Covenant is not broken by our transgressions and that because it was not made with us The reason why the very Saints of God have so many ups and downs in this their travel towards heaven it is because they are so weak in the faith of this one thing for they think that if they fail of this or that particular performance if their hearts be dead and cold and their lusts mighty and strong therefore now God is angry and now be will shut them out of his favour now the New Covenant is broken and now Christ Jesus will stand their friend no longer now also the devil hath power again and now they must have their part in the resurrection of damnation when alas the Covenant is not for all this never the more broken and so the Grace of God no more straightned then it was before Therefore I say when thou findest that thou art weak here and sailing there backward to this good and thy heart forward to that evil then be sure thou keep a steadfast eye on the Mediator of this New Covenant and be perswaded that it is not only made with him and his part also fulfilled but that he doth look upon his fulfilling of it so as not to lay thy sins to thy charge though he may as a father chastise thee for the same If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments If they break my statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with stripes Nevertheless mark nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth And what was that why that his seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the days of Heaven Psal. 89. 30 31 32 33 34 35 36. Seventhly Another priviledge that the Saints have by vertue of the New Covenant is that they have part of the possâ—ssion or hold of heaven and glory already and that two manner of ways First the divine nature is conveyed from heaven into them And Secondly the humane nature i. e. the nature of man is received up and entertained in and hath got possession of Heaven 1. We have the first-fruits of the spirit saith the man of God we have the earnest of the spirit which is instead of the whole Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory Rom. 8. 8 9 10 11. Eph. 1. 13 14. 2. The nature of man OUR nature is got into glory as the first fruits of man-kind as a fore-runner to take possession till we all come thither 1 Cor. 15. 20. For the man born at Bethlem is ascended which is part of the lump of mankind into glory as a publick person as the first-fruits representing the whole of the Children of God So that in some sense it may be said that the Saints have already taken possession of the Kingdom of Heaven by their Jesus their publick person he being in their room entred to prepare a place for them John 14. 1 2 3 4 5. I beseech you consider When Jesus Christ came down from glory it was that he might bring us to glory and that he might be sure not to fail he clothed himself with our nature as if one should take a piece out of the whole lump instead of the whole Heb. 2. 14 15. until the other comes and investeth in that glory which he was in before he came down from Heaven and thus is that saying to be understood speaking of Christ and Saints which saith And he hath raised us up together and made us fit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 6. Eighthly Again not only thus but all the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 5. together with the rest of his glorious attributes are on our side in that they dwell in our nature which is thâ— man Jesus and doth ingage for us poor simple empty nothing creatures as to our eternal happiness For in him that is in the man Christ who is our nature our head our root our flesh our bone dwelleth all the fulness of the God head bodily Col. 2. 9 10. Mark how they are joyned together In whom dwelleth the fulness of the God-head And ye are compleat in him God dwelleth compleatly in him and you also are compleatly implanted in him which is the head of all principality and power and all this by the consent of the Father For it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Now mark the God-head doth not dwell in Christ Jesus for himself only but that it may be in a way of righteousness conveyed to us for our comfort and help in all our wants All power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth saith he Mat. 28. 18. And then followeth And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Psal. 68. 18. 20. He hath received gifts for men even for the rebellious John 1. 16. Of
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
glittering Angels ministering before him besides when the ungodly shall appear there with their pale Faces with their guilty Consciences and trembling Souls that would then give thousands and ten thousands of Worlds if they had so many if they could enjoy but one loving look from Christ. I say then then shalt thou have the hand of Christ reached to thee kindly to receive thee saying Come thou blessed step up hither thou wast willing to leave all for me and now will I give all to thee here is a Throne a Crown a Kingdom take them thou wast not ashamed of me when thou wast in the World among my Enemies and now will not I be ashamed of thee before thine Enemies but will in the view of all these Devils and damned Reprobates promote thee to Honour and Dignity Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Thou shalt see that those who have served me in truth shall lose nothing by the means No but ye shall be as Pillars in my Temple and Inheritours of my Glory and shall have a place to walk in among my Saints and Angels Zech. 3. 7. O! Who would not be in this Condition Who would not be in this Glory It will be such a Soul-ravishing Glory that I am ready to think the whole reprobate World will be ready to run mad Deut. 28. 34. to think that they should miss of it then will the vilest Drunkard Swearer Liar and unclean Person willingly cry Lord Lord open to us yet be denied of entrance and thou in the mean time embraced entertained made welcome have a fair Mitre set upon thy Head and clothed with immortal Glory Zech. 3. 5. O therefore let all this move thee and be of weight upon thy Soul to close in with Jesus this tender-hearted Jesus And if yet for all what I have said thy Sins do still stick with thee and thou findest thy hellish Heart loath to let them go think with thy self in this manner Shall I have my Sins and lose my Soul Will they do me any good when Christ comes Would not Heaven be better to me then my Sins And the Company of God Christ Saints and Angels be better then the Company of Cain Judas Balaam with the Devils in the Furnace of Fire Canst thou now that readest or hearest these Lines turn thy Back and go on in thy Sins Canst thou set so light of Heaven of God of Christ and the Salvation of thy poor yet precious Soul Canst thou hear of Christ his bloody Sweat and Death and not be taken with it and not be grieved for it and also converted by it If so I might lay thee down several Considerations to stir thee up to mend thy pace towards Heaven but I shall not there is enough written already to leave thy Soul without excuse and to bring thee down with a Vengeance into Hell-fire devouring Fire the Lake of Fire eternal everlasting Fire O! to make thee swim and roul up and down in the Flames of the Furnace of Fire The End If thou wouldest have a more full discourse hereof Read Dâ—d upon the Commandments * But only in tongue * Some professors take them at the best they are but like Dogs spuing out their filth for a time The last part of the Objection * I beseeth you do not think that because I say this therefore I am against the Ordinances of the Gospel for I do honour them in their places yet would not that any of them should be idolized or done in a wrong spirit I touched upon this in the first Doctrine * But it is impossible that the righteousness of man by the Law should save him * Besides the reasons already given * The word David in this place signifieth Christ as also in these Scriptures I might give you more Scriptures but pray consider the second thing Did I think this would â—â—ect with any opposition I should be in this more large Yet the second Adam was before the first and also the second Covenant before the first This is a Riddle David here is to be understood Christ. Christ is put into office by the Father to do all things contained in the New Covenant His Surtiship However it is in other ingagements yet it is thus in this Though the debtor together with the surety is liable to pay the debt by the Law of man yet Christ our surety only by the Covenant of Grace As Christ did not suffer in his body without suffering in soul nor yet in soul without his suffering in body it was because not the body without the soul but both the body and soul of the Saints should be for ever saved These things have I spoken to shew you that Saints are under Grace These things are more fully laid down in that part of the book which containeth the discourse of the priviledges of the New Covenant You must not understand that love in God is a passion as it is in us but the love of Gâ—d is the very essence or nature of God 1 John 4. 16. Come to the touchstons sinner Six reasons of this discourse That soul that hath the right work of God upon its heart is not only killed to its self but also made alive to Christ. * Like as the Children of Israel who fled for fear when the ground opened its mouth to swallow up Corah and his company Ps. 103. 1 23. * But this may be its temptation taking place through the timerousness of the soul. * This conviction seized on my soul one Sabbath day when I was at play being one of the first that I had which when it came though it seared me with its terrour yet through the temptation of the devil immediately striking in therewith I did rub it off again and became as vile for some time as I was before like a wretch that I was Do not think that I am against the order of the Gospel Dan. 9. 24 25. 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. * This is the Doctrine that I will live and dye by and be willing to be damned if it saves me not I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to Salvation therefore I preach Christ Crucified to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness Rom. 1. 1 Cor. 1. Heb. 10. 14. Heb. 9. 24 25. * Shall not we then that see all things already done before us make it a strong Argument to increase out Faith * For they were 〈◊〉 so many sure promises with a remembrance in them also for the better satisfaction of them that believed them You that are resolved to go on in your Sins meddle not with this