set their Hearts aright have a marvailous advantage in point of consistency and as to the stability of their good thoughts even from their Natural temper whereas some others in Constitution sanguine and more symbolizing with the Air their minds seem commonly volatile and so their thoughts more fluid and less fixed be the habit of their Minds Difference of natural constitution may appear as in conversion or Objects of their Thoughts good or evil Now this difference of Natural constitution occasions many mistakes in the spiritual judging of Mens Estates A man may be very serious yet not Religious though John Baptist was naturally 't is probable very austere John came saith Christ neither eating nor drinking Mar. 11.28 and another man may be very pleasant and yet not vain and it would seem our Saviours Natural bodily temper was differing from the Baptists and disposed him to a complaisant conversation Verse 29. The Son of Man came eating and drinking for even in that sence his delights were with the Sons of Men Rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth The Hebrew word signifies sporting Prov. 8.5 and so the Margin reads it and yet he was the pattern of all Perfection And as in Conversation So in thoughts so in thoughts the Natural temper may if not attended occasion dangerous mistakes in judging the spiritual state Take an instance in two whom I take to be Eminent Saints King Solomon and the Apostle Paul Instance in King Solomon and St. Paul concerning the later none doubt nor dare I of the former who was Gods Iedidiah from whom God saith he will never take his mercy A Pen-man of Holy Writ and so numbred by the Apostle among the Holy men of God a grand Type of Christ and one of those Prophets of whom Christ saith expresly that all the Prophets are in the Kingdom of God Luke 15 2â— yet I suppose a vast difference in the Natural temper of these two excellent men Paul no doubt was of great natural resolution Acts 26 9â— and fixation I verily thought saith he of himself before his Conversion that I ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus Verse 10 11. which thing also I did in every Synagogue He never alters his mind as we say never changeth his thoughts never turns nor ever would had not God overturned him but then when God called him by his Grace and set the Watch right Oh! this Natural temper of His was an Excellent Ballance and kept the motion admirably What do you mean saith he to weep and break mine heart Acts 21.17 I am ready not onely to be bound but to Die for the Name of Jesus And when he would not be perswaded say they we ceased c. You see He was fixed before Conversion and fixed after for Grace rather useth then altereth Nature though it cures its corruption But now Solomon He was naturally I question not of a more Airy Constitution and so of a more doubtful mind as our Saviours Phrase is which He borrowes from the Aiery Meteors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 12.30 which are now here and now there and you can hardly find them fixed any where and so His thoughts more fluid and volatile flying up and down from one thing to a contrary thing from Wisdom Eccles 2.2 to Wine to Women to Madness to Folly yea from one thing to a thousand things Even from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hyssop upon the Wall and being naturally like Reuben unstable as water his Wives turned away his heart 1 Kings 11.4 and the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice and yet there was a well of Water after all this springing up in Him to Everlasting Life for you may see what was in the bottom of his heart what his deepest thoughts were by what you find in the bottom of his Book of Penitence and Recantation Let us hear saith He the CONCLUSION of the matter FEAR GOD Eccles 12.15 and keep his Commandments c. Now All is well We say that ends well Sect. IV. THis then to shut up this scrutiny is that which we are most accurately to observe amongst all that variety not only of Temptations Conclusion of the Rule but of Tempers and consequently of Thoughts Purposes and Resolutions Psal 94.14 Several instances of good thoughts at bottom working out evil thoughts Isaiah 8.13 if as David saith in another respect In the multitude of our thoughts within us We can find Divine and gracious Thoughts to be deepest in our Soul As to add to the instance forementioned when our slight Thoughts of God and slavish fear of Man and thoughts of sinful security as to our selves are wrought out by our sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts and making him our FEAR as the Prophet speaks When ones high thoughts of himself who is ready to say in his heart Deut. 8.17 My power and the might of my hand hath â—otten me this wealth are removed by remembrance of the Lord God Verse 18. and that it is he that gives power to get wealth When our self-justifying self-exalting thoughts are taken down and let fall as Job's plumes were by his thoughts of his black feet behold I am vile Job 40.4 what shall I answer thee c. When over-eager thoughts of the world are worn out by thinking on what He saith who hath charged us to take no thought for to morrow Luke 12.22 Matth. 6.34 Prov. 11.4 and over-valuing thoughts of the World by thinking that the world was not Crucified for Us cannot deliver or profit in the day of wrath that labouring for the World is but labouring for the Wind Eccles 5.16 whereof the more a man gâ—asps for the most part the greater are the gripes that their end is Destruction that mind earthly things but especially by Thinking that the Lord hath said Love not the World nor the things of the World for if any man love the World 1 John 2.15 the love of the Father is not in him When Flesh-pleasing thoughts are supplanted by thinking that to be carnally minded is death Romans 8. â— James 5.5 that living in pleasures upon the Earth and being wanton is but the nourishing of the heart as in the day of slaughter that a St. Paul himself must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 9.27 beat down his body and bring it in subjection least he himself should be cast away Phil. 3.8 or when thoughts of the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ come to make a man think other things to be but dogs meat or dung that he may win Christ when the thoughts of the Rivers of pleasures that are at Gods Right hand for evermore do challenge the Heart Jerm 2.18 What hast thou to do in the way of Aegypt to drink
yet but One Sun or to come nearer both to the Thing and Himself He thinks perhaps of the Soul in his Body where he finds an Understanding Will and Memory yet but One Soul But alas thinks he these are short shadows and dark resemblances of so great and high a Mystery for that light is not the Sun though it be Sun-light c. and that Understanding is not the Soul but the Souls understanding power or faculty But Jesus Christ is the LORD and the holy Spirit is GOD and yet to us there is but One God and One Lord. But this He thinks 1 Cor. 8.6 All in God GOD. That All that is IN God Eternally Imminently Unchangeably must needs be God As verily He thinks that GOD IS And that God the Father hath a perfect KNOWLEDGE of himself in himself God knowâ— himself This also He cannot but Think and that this Knowledge WISDOM Wisdom Prov. 8.22 23 25. John 1.1 Word Ver. 30. Image of God Hebr. 1.3 Loves Himself Fathers love to the Son declared by the Holy Ghost Verse 16. or WORD is God because it is IN the Father who is God And further that He cannot but LOVE himself whom He thus Knows and seeth in that express Image of Himself begotten in Himself and this Image or begotten WORD being in God and therefore being God cannot love God again And this Infinite Mutable liking Loving and good will Proceeding from Both and being in Both cannot but be what Both are viz. GOD. Thus We see when there was a visible manifestation of the Divine complacency with a loud voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased The Word being now made Flesh It was made by the Descending of the Holy Ghost like a Dove from the Father and resting on the Son But Alas after all thinks He of Himself who is he that hideth Counsel without knowledge Mystery exceeding thought Yet is to be thought for God is able to do above thought Eph. 3.26 Therefore is above thought Trinity one in working yet each his peculiar work John 5.17 19 20 21. Phil. 1.19 compared with 4.19 God onely properly Eâ—câ—â—â—â— Psal 106 48. Therefore have I thought that I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not God hath indeed told me that THESE THREE are ONE And if I cannot tell how to think it yet I will think it For seeing Scripture teacheth me to Think that he is able to Do exceeding abundantly above all that I can think well may I Think that He Is above All that I can Think And therefore though it be above my thought 't is the fitter seeing He saith it to be thought of him that is so much above me These three thus gloriously but mysteriously coequally coessentially and coeternally One must be thought also to be One in Working as well as Being and yet each one to have his own peculiar work Thus Gods supplying by Jesus Christ is called the supply of the Spirit Sect. XXI THis God We must think an ETERNAL Being and nothing properly Eternal but God Created Spirits Angels and Souls of men and the bodies of these raised Spiritual bodies at the last day being Onely Eâ—erlasting But from Everlasting to Everlasting thou are God Art not thou from Everlasting Psalm 90.2 Hab. 1.12 Isaiah 48.12 O Lord my God And as if God were making answer to this Question saith He Hearken O Jacob and Israel my Called I am he I am the First I also am the Last Chap. 44.6 Verse 8. Jerem. 2.32 I am the First I am the Last and besides Me there is no God and after saith he Is there any I know not any There is no Eternal no First and Last but God onely Hebr. 7.3 And therefore Our First Thoughts and Our Last Thoughts yea and all our Thoughts should be of him and for him Thoughts should be Lasting where the Theme is Everlasting But O burning shame that We should forget him dayes without number who hath neither Beginning of Dayes nor end of Life but is Eternal Sect. XXII THoughts also must be holy and Reverend of the Infinite Immensity Gods Immensâ— omnipresence filling all things Psalm 33.5 as well as Eternity of this one true God His OMNIPRESENCE filling all things Hell with his glorious Justice and Severity Heaven with the glory of his Grace Earth with his Goodness Patience and Providence If I ascend up into heaven thou art there Psal 139.8 9. If I make my Bed in hell behold thou art there If I dwell in the utmost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me Jer. 23.23 24. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do I not fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. And 't is repeated so that the Lord saith this because vain men do so little think of this Thus doth he fill all things but is contained of none Contained of none 2 Chron. 6.18 But will in very deed dwell with men on earth behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee Alas How should it Can a Man be contained in his own span My right hand hath spanned the heavens Isaiah 48.13 saith God Alas how little can Our very hearts hold or Our Thoughts contain of this Great God! now the less we can comprehend the more and the greater should our Admiring Thoughts be Sect. XXIII God All-wise omniscient HE is also to be Holily and Reverently remembred in the Immensity of his Wisdome and OMNISCIENCE as well Omni-presence That He is All Wise Knows Us. 1 John 3.20 as well as Onely-Wise that knows us better then we know our own Hearts who is greater then our hearts and KNOWS all things He knows whereof we are made Our frame Psal 103.14 Psal 139.16 Our Sins Job 13 27. Chap. 14.16 17. his eyes did see our substance being yet imperfect He books our members He knows wherein we have sinned he looks narrowly to all our paths and sets a print upon the heels or as the Hebrew upon the Roots of our feet And as he books our Members so he bags â—our Sins Thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch over my sin my transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine Iniquity But then he knows our Sorrows too as well as our Sins Our sorrows Psal 56.8 thou tellest my wandrings put thou my tears into thy Bottle Thou seest how I have Sinned observe how I mourn and indeed he doth so I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31.18 I saw him sinning and I hear him groaning He that hath a Book for our Members a Bag for our Sins hath a Bottle also for our tears He knows our Soul in Sin and he hath saith David known my Soul in adversity Psal 31.7 Our need Matth. 6.8
saith In all he saith Psal 119.160 He saith in Truth Thy Word is true saith David from the beginning and every one of thy Righteous Judgments endureth for ever Psalm 19.9 Revel 19.9 In all he doth Psalm 33.4 Psal 111.7 8. Psal 80.7 8. The Judgments of the Lord are truth saith the Hebrew These are the true sayings of God Whatever God doth He doth it in Truth All his works are done in Truth The works of his hands are verity and Judgment they stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and uprightness Therefore God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in Reverence of all them that are about him It follows O Lord God of Hosts who is like unto thee or to thy FAITHFULNESS round about thee So that as the Girdle goes round about All and encompasseth and encloseth All so Gods Truth and Faithfulness doth surround all the rest of his Excellencies and therefore if our Thoughts of God be Right We shall have most awful and Reverend Impressions on our Hearts not onely from the SEVERITY but from the VERITY of God not onely from his Justice and Righteousness but also from his TRUTH and Faithfulness Sect. XXVIII Thoughts of God must be Right Psalm 2.11 BUt then again if our THOUGHTS of GOD be Right and Scriptural they must be CHEARFUL as well as FEARFUL There must be a Rejoycing with our Trembling Divine Thoughts must be awful but delightful as a Son thinks of his Father not as a Slave thinks of his Taskmaster Chearful as well as fearful or a Condemned Prisoner of his Executioner for God is LOVE and how can LOVE be Rightly thought of unless it be thought LOVELY 1 Joh. 4.8.16 Rom. 5.5 or how can this precious box or rich perfume the love of God be shed abroad in the heart and the thoughts thereof not be sweet-sented and indeed the sweeter as perfumes are for being held to the Fire of holy Fear Our fear not a fear of torment 1 John 4.18 There is a Fear that hath TORMENT which Love labours to cast out but again there is a Fear that gives temper to true LOVE of God and strips it self of its All as it were to the service of it as Jonathan did by David even to its Sword and to its Girdle and to its Bow 1 Sam. 18.4 Our God is a CONSUMING FIRE Here is Trembling Heb. 12.29 and good cause why but this God is OUR GOD as the Psalmist speaks for ever and ever Psal 48.14 He will be OUR GUIDE even unto death here is rejoycing with our trembling And O how amiable is this Chequer-work of Mans thoughts in the sight of God surely things are not as they should be with us when we Remember God and are troubled what Psalm 77.3 Harbour hard thoughts of the Father of Mercies Think evil of the Fountain of all Goodness 2 Cor. 1.3 Good thoughts of God Ezek. 18.32 and 33.11 ah wherein hath God deserved this at mans hands Is it because he swears as he lives that he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dies But that the wicked turn from his way and live that is but rather that sinners should Repent and live Is it because he cryes out to you turn ye Chap. 33.11 turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye die or because he cryes out of you John 5.40 ye will not come to me that ye might have life or because he cryes out over you how shall I give up how shall I make thee as Admah Hosea 11.8 Chap. 6.4 Psal 81.13 Isaiah 48.18 Luke 19.42 and set thee as Zeâ—â—im O sinners what shall I do unto you or because he cryes out for you when it is too late O that ye had harkened unto my voice that thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Wretched Miscreant Wilt thou go on to hate Wisdome and to love Death Prov. 8.35 as indeed thou dost and then think that God is an Enemy to Mankind and takes delight in making Creatures meerly to destroy them O spit out thy Gall and Venom and clear thy Thoughts of prejudice against thy faithful Creatour and most merciful Preserver and account his long-suffering to be Salvation that he 2 Pet. 3.15 that reprieves thee would pardon thee didst thou sue for his pardon as thou wouldst beg for thy Life for he is so Gracious that he waits that he may be gracious Isaiah 30.18 Hosea 12.6 Gods thoughts not to be measured by ours Prov. 12.10 Therefore turn thou to thy God and wait on thy God continually And think not to measure his pardoning Mercies by thine which are cruelties nor by thy frowardness and passions nor by thy hard Thoughts and evil surmises as if God was altogether such a one as thy self till thou canst measure the space betwixt the Heavens and the Earth for so high are his thoughts above thy thoughts or till thou canst find in thy heart to follow thine Enemy Isa 55.7 8 9. moment by moment all the dayes of his life with thine unwearied care for his safety and providence for his supply and by that time that thou hast done for thine Enemy as God hath taught thee by what he hath done for thee Gods challenge to Man 't is like that thou wilt have better thoughts of thy God or if thou have not come and testifie against him If thou darest or if thou canst for 't is a challenge of Gods own making Micah 6.3 O my people what have I done to thee testifie against me and I as his Herauld proclaim this his challenge to thee But if thou keep silence let me speak and tell thee plainly what he hath done unto thee He made thee a Man that might have made thee a Brute and gave thee a Soul endued with Reason Jer. 38.16 Psalm 139.14.15 Improveable by Grace and so capable of Salvation He gave thee thy shape that might have made thee a Monster and made thee desirable to others who might have made thee a burthen to thy self The Hand of his Providence took thee out of thy Mothers womb and hath ever since suffered thee to hang upon it though thou Psalm 22.9 like a Viper hast fastened thy teeth so deep in it that thy venomous biting hath often gone as it were to his very heart and he with more ease might have shaken thee off into the Fire of his wrath Acts 28.5 Psalm 71.6 He kept thee from ten thousand Deaths and Dangers in thy fearless Infancy careless Childhood hardy and adventrous youth and troublesome Manhood to the very moment that thou art reading this He made thy Bed in thy last sickness Psalm 41.3 Psalm 36.6 Psalm 107.30 bare thee up in his everlasting Arms the last time that thou fellest
went out to meet God God will take notice whether our hearts set rightly out with him though after in the journey we may for some season loose our way Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine Espousals when thou â—entest after me Psalm 110.7 c. Christ hath a dew of youth in a gracious heart as well as Holy Church and this Divine and early dew of pretious thoughts is fairest when freshest Coin fairest out of the Mint-house as from the Womb of the morning Gods Coin is brightest when it first comes out of the Mint-house of mans heart for such is mans Mind a Mint-house for thoughts when it passeth farther it comes to be discoloured to contract blackness especially by lying for some time in the Earth and so sometimes to grow suspicable to others perhaps hardly discernable to our selves without much rubbing c. Repentance and Reformation yet if it were right for mettal and stamp at its first setting out when we our selves dare hardly trust it yet God that knows its Original will own it It is said of King Asa 2 Chro. 15.17 that his heart was perfect all his dayes perfect with the Lord yet the poor man took many a wrong and wretched step 1 King 15.14 for a man of a right heart yea how was Gods stamp sometimes as it were worne off little left of his Image or Superscription to be seen for besides that the high places were not remoâ—ed which was a blot upon his Government In the business of Baasha 2 Chron. 16. Verse 8.19 He relyed on the King of Syria and relyed not on the Lord his God And when he that had eminent experience of God in the business of the Ethiopians and Lubims had done thus foolishly and Hanani the Seer had reproved him faithfully Verse 10. he was wroth yea in a rage with him and put him in Prison and oppressed some of the people at the same time nay in the very evening of his dayes and towards his very Eâ—â—t 't is said that in his Disease he sought not to the Lord Verse 13. â— but to the Physitians yet there was something found at bottom notwithstanding all this Contrariwise 2 Chrâ— 25.2 Amazia did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but saith God not with a perfect heart Like some counteâ—se pieces now abroad that being â—ased or plated over with Silver are observed to have fewer cracks and flaws in the Edges perhaps than the Kings own Coin and yet they are but Copper-hearted The gratious soul is the Spouse of Christ Cant. 6.8 who as she is attended with a number of Holy and Royal affections as so many Queens so also with pure thoughts as with Virgin without number And our Heavenly Solomon eyes them most that wait next and immediately as it were upon his Queens person now our thoughts as you have heard they he next to our hearts Sect. XIII Fifthly IT cannot but be granted that God judgeth as man cannot We look at each others outsides God judges as man cannot therefore by the thoughts Luke 6.45 Prov. 26.23 1 Sam. 16.7 and oftentimes are not deceived for ordinarily the abundance of the heart will break out either some tiâ—e or other by the tongues clinking what the heart thinks as the Proverb hath it or some way or other so that the wary observer may come to discern the Potsheard notwithstanding the covering of Silver dross oft times I say but not alwayes That 's Gods Prerogative so the Lord seeth not as man seeth How then for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart We hear mens words He seeth their thoughts we weigh their Actions and Appearances Prov. 24.12 Chap. 16.2 the Lord ponders their hearts and weigheth their spirits as the wise man speaks In the Levitical Law the Swan was pronounced unclean a Bird whose Feathers are excceeding white Lev. 11.18 God judges most by what is in most 2. Cor. 11.14 Maâ— 23.27 Verse 28. Verse 25. but her Skin black God judgeth most by what is In-most God can easily discern the trans-formed Devil under the Angel of Light the rottenness within through the whited Tomb and painted Sepulchre Wee unto you Hypocrites saith Christ for ye make clean the outside of the Cup and of the Platter but within they are fâ—ll of Extortion and Excess Even so ye also appear outwardly righteous unto men but within ye are full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity Oh what horrid Spectacles were the most of men even of many that desire to make a fair shew in the flesh Gal. 6.12 as the Apostle speaks if their Insides were but turned out-side But alas They are all out-side to him that is All eye Sect. XIV Conscience Gods Deputy judgeth by our Thoughts Rom 2 13. Verse 16. LAstly That God sentenceth and Dooms us by our Thoughts is hereby evident in that Conscience that is Gods Vicegerent in mans brest doth so which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience bearing witness and their Thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another it follows In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel God and Christ and the Gospel they will judge men by their Consciences and their Consciences they will judge them by their Thoughts in the great day Judge we therefore our selves now as then we must be judged CHAP. V. Disc vers what those Right Thoughts are that are the Righteous mans Evidence and how to be known Sect. I. Objection Psal 64.6 Jer. 17.9 BUt alas may some one say Is not Mans heart a great deep and desperately wicked and deceiptful above all things I am afraid of Judging my self by my Thoughts of my self least I should Mis-judge of my self finding my self so apt to think amiss doth not the Apostle speak of some that measuring themselves by themselves are not wise 2 Cor. 10.12 Prov. 16 2. and 21. 2. There is so much Pride Partiality and self-Self-love that almost every way of man will seem clean and right in his own eye if his own Thoughts may but be his Judges Why all this is true Solution Not what Thoughts we have of our selves but in our selves Gal. 6.3 4. yet all that hath been said before true also We never said that every mans Case is as his thoughts are of himself but yet by his thoughts that are In himself he may come to discover his own state For if a man Think himself to be something saith the Apostle when he is nothing he deceiveth himself But yet let every man prove his own works and then he shall have rejoycing In himself alone and not in another This he speaks in respect of Sincerity not of Righteousness or Justification in the sight of God for of the later he saith we rejoyâ—e only in Jesus
John 3.1 to think seriously of this if the Apostle cry out as he doth Beloved what manner of Love is this that the Father hath bestowed upon us that We should be called The Sons of God O think then what manner of love is this that GOD should be called The Son of Man Nay become Man In Christs Incarnation John 1.1 and Verse 14. for the WORD was with GOD and the WORD was GOD and the WORD was made FLESH For to think that Christ was onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Divine Man and not GOD-MAN is a thought both beneath a Christ and below a Christian John 5.20 But thanks be to God We know that the Son of Son of God is come and He hath given us understanding Christ true God that We may know him that is True and We are in Him that is True even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the True GOD and the Life Eternal This is He of whom it was said of Old Isaiah 9.6 To us a Child is born and yet his Name shall be called The MIGHTY GOD. By whom saith the Apostle Hebr. 1.2 Chap. 3 3 4. Hebr. 1.10 Verse 3. John 1.10 God made the World and he that built all things is GOD and to him it is expresly said Thou Lord in the beginning hast established the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thine Hands He was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not And that He upholdeth all things by the word of his power who by himself purged our Sins and sate down at the right hand of the Majesty on high Christ suffering was God satisfying himself Acts 20.28 So that CHRIST Suffering was but GOD Satisfying himself and therefore He cannot chuse but have full payment for the Purchase Blood was the Blood of GOD. Feed the Church of GOD saith the Apostle which he purchased with his Own Blood And God did Suffer though He could not Suffer As GOD the Nature assuming adding infinite value and vertue to the Nature assumed both being one Person 1 Tim. 3 1◠for God manifested in the Flesh must needs be justified in the Spirit or Godhead of Christ Hebr 9.14 through which or upon which as the Altar this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this middle Person as the Apostle calls him betwixt God and Man God-Man as Priest offers up himself Suffering as true Man to Himself 1 Tim. 2.5 as One true God with the Father and the Holy Ghost This is that great Mystery look'd into by the Angels Preached to the Gentiles Believed in the World Lord I believe it help thou mine unbelief Sect. XXXIV 1 Tim. 3.16 Mistake to think one drop of Christ's blood sufficient Acts 20.28 The Death of Christ necessary Heb. 9.15 Verse 16. As Testatour BUt though I dare not but Think with Scripture that the blood of Christ that is the Death of Christ for so the Scripture is to be understood when it speaks of his blood is of Infinite value and vertue being Gods own blood yet dare I not think with those who without Scripture affirm that One drop of Christs blood was sufficient to save the world for the Apostle saith expresly that He is Mediatour of the New Testament through DEATH 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Redemption no Redemption without Death for where a Testament is saith he there Must be the Death of Him that made the Testament And He proves it by the killing of the Sacrifices in the Law Verse 22.23 That without shedding of blood he means dying there is no Remission And that it was Necessary Christ should enter by his own Blood that is for so he explains it by the Sacrifice not of a drop or few drops but of Himself and that no otherwise than by Death Verse 26. Verse 27 28. Surety Gen. 2.17 Heb. 7.22 Rom. 5.21 Christ suffered in our stead Gen. 22.13 Is◠53.5 10. for as it was appointed unto Men once to die So Christ must be Once offered For the Debt that We owe to the Covenant of Works is Death In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt Die This Debt must Our Surety under the New-Covenant pay though a Covenant of Grace for GRACE must reign by Righteousness for Christ was not onely for Our Good but in our stead like the Ram in the stead or room of Isaac for the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him And therefore not one drop of his Blood onely but his Soul must be made the Offering for Sin and he must powre out his Soul to the Death Verse 1◠Verse 4. for He was to bear Our Sorrows which were the sorrows of Death as you have seen which Text Grot. in loc though a learned man who sometimes had written worthily for Christs satisfaction falling afterwards off by Temptation would fain distort by expounding it of the Prophet Jeremiah yet two great Apostles Philip and Peter Acts 8.34 35. 1 Pet. 2.24 do understand and expound it of Christ and no other by whose alone stripes we are healed So Christ himself also who knew what would serve the turn tells his Disciples plainly that there was no way but one he must go away he must depart John 16.7 yet he had long before this even at eight dayes old lost more than a drop of blood for them in his Circumcision Luke 2.21 Mat. 16.21 but still for all that the Son of Man must go to Jerusalem and must suffer many things and be killed and it was his Life Chap. 20.21 and no less that He must give for a Ransom for many 'T is true indeed The preciousness of Christs Death Acts 2.24 2 Sam. 18.3 Christ fully Satisfied was lawfully discharged this One Life of His was worth Thousands of Ours as Davids Men said of David and his Suffering Death though it were not possible he should be held of it gave Infinite Justice that Satisfaction and full Payment because he that Suffered was an Infinite Person that Millions of Damned ones Men and Angels in Hell cannot give or make in Millions of Ages but the subjects of the Suffering being Finite the duration or Term of the Suffering must be in some sort Infinite that is to say without End But now God sends his Angel Mat. 28.2 as a publick Minister to roul away the Stone from Christs Sepulchre not that Christ needed an Angels help to further his Resurrection John 10.18 for He that had power to take up his life again could not want strength like another Sampson Jud. 16.9 12. to shake off those sorry shackles of his Sepulchre but I say the Key must be turned by Gods own Officer and the Prison door set open to declare to All the World that Our Debt by his Death was fully paid in that Our Surety did not Break Prison but was set at Liberty which the damned shall never be because they can