many places of Scripture yet none of them kept them out of the Land of Canaan which was a type of heaven but only unbelief And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkenesse rather then light John 3.19 Christ hath obtained of his Father a full pardon for all the sins of the world and a perfect righteousnesse and heaven and spirituall and temporall things and it is kept in store for us in Christ all the spirituall things are till wee doe really believe what Jesus Chriâ—â— hath done for us in particular and he woulâ— have his love made knowne to the world thaâ— they might believe and then hee will makâ— known to them that their sins are pardoned and how great his love is to them and whâ—â— hee hath purchased for them and what theâ— are in him And although there remaines sâ—â— in the conversation yet sin in the conscienâ—â— is done away The blood of Christ which througâ— the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spoâ—â— purge your consciences from dead workes to serâ—â— the living God Heb. 9.14 And he speaking iâ— the 9th verse of this chapter and verse 2. of thâ— 10th chapter of the sacrifices in the time of thâ— Law there was offered gifts and sacrifices thaâ— could not make holy concerning the conscience of him that did the service for if it could would they not then have ceased to have beeâ— offered because that that the offerers oncâ— purged should have had no more sine in theiâ— conscience but those sacrifices could not take away sin in the conscience Heb. 9.24 25 26. For Christ is not entered into the holy places maâ—â— with hands which are the figures of the true buâ— into heaven itselfe now to appeare in the preseâ—â— of God for us Nor yet that he should offer himselfâ— often as the high Priest entereth into the holy plâ—â—â— every yeare with blood of others For then must often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath be appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe And it is he alone that can and will sanctifie us in our conversation Let us draw neer with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Heb. 10.22 Christ shed both water and blood John 19. â—4 His blood for to sprinkle our conscience from evill works that so they shall not damn us and water to purge and sanctifie us in our conversation that sin shall be mortified in us and we shall walke in obedience to God And this Christ hath done for all and would have all know it that they all might come to Christ and be saved For be tasted death for-every man Heb. 2.9 And be dyed for all that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Gor. 5.15 Christ not only dyed and was buried but hee also rose from the dead which doth declare unto us that hee hath gotten the victory over the spirituall death for us he triumphed over it for us Death is swallowed up in victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Chrisâ— 2 Cor. 15.54 55 56 57. So Christ hath done all things for thee anâ— hath made way for to goe to God by him Jâ—sus said I am the way the truth and the life â—man commeth to the Father but by me John 1â— 6. And now he makes a generall proclamatâ—on for all to come unto him and he will giâ—â— them life for their life is hid in him and they doe not come unto him they shall dyeâ— their sins and the Lord saith As I live I wiâ—â— not the death of a sinner Isa 55.1 2 3. Ho evâ—â—â— one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and 〈◊〉 that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea comâ— buy wine and milke without money and withâ—â—â— price Wherefore doe ye spend money for that whiâ—â— is not bread and your labour for that which satiâ—fieth not hearken diligently unto me and eaâ—â— ye that which is good and let your soule delight selfe in fatnesse Encline your eare and come unâ—me heare and your soule shall live and I wiâ—â— make aneverlasting Covenant with you even tâ—â— sure mercies of David The waters that we are invited to come 〈◊〉 to is Christ he is the water of life John 4 1â— And he calls all to come without any worth nesse of their owne though they are never 〈◊〉 great sinners let them come let them not keâ—â— back because they are great sinners but therâ—fore let them come for he dyed for their sins â—nd if they come unto him he will give them a â—ardon for their sins their sinnes cannot be too great for him to pardon and doe not stay for â—ualification to come to Christ for there is â—o qualification out of Christ but come unto him and he will qualifie thee there is no vessel so unclean but the blood of Christ wil cleanse â—t And saith Christ Those that come to me I will â—â—n no wise cast away and that wine and milk is Christ John 15.1 I am the Vine that brought forth those grapes that this wine came of and he was pressed in the wine-pres of the wrath of God for us to drinke of the fruit of it And as it is the nature of wine to comfort strengthen and refresh those that are ready to faint So it is with this spirituall wine Christ whosoever hath tasted of him it comforts him exceedingly and when they are ready to faint through the sence of their sins this wine refreshes them and strengthens them against the Devils temptations and their owne sins and this milke is to feede those that are babes in Christ I have fed you with milke and not with meate for bitherto ye were not able to beare it 1 Cor. 3.2 For every one that useth milke is unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe Heb. 5.13 So Christ is this milke that feeds those that are babes in him he is their nourishment and hee revealeth his love to them by degrees and 〈◊〉 are babes at the first and grow by degrees be men in Christ and hee leades them accoâ—ding Wherefore doe ye spend money for that whiâ—â— is not bread you spend a great deale of cost paines to get a righteousnesse of your own aâ—â— so feede upon that but that is not bread thâ—â— is but ashes that will not nourish thee bâ—â— wildo thee more harm than good Christ saitâ— He is the bread of life John 6.48 This is 〈◊〉 bread which came downe from heaven that a mâ—â— may eate of it and not dye I am the living breâ—â— which came downe from heaven if any man
nothing in us that moved Goâ—â— to bestow his Sonne upon us to be crucisied fâ—â— us but it was his free love Herein is love 〈◊〉 that we loved God but that he loved us and seâ—â— his Son to be the propitiatin for our sins 1 Johâ— 4.10 Hereby perceive we the love of God becaâ—â— he laid downe his life for us 1 John 3.16 Aâ—â—â— while we were yet sinners Christ died for us eâ— when we were dead in sins Ephes 2.5 For so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved John 3.16 17. For I came not to judge the world but to save the world John 12.47 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay downe his life for his friend John 15.13 That is the greatest love that friends can shew one to another but Christ hath loved us with a greater love for while wee were his enemies he dyed for us to reconcile us to God and to make us his friend hee takes occasion by our sins to shew us merie The Lord complains of the spirituall Idolatry of his people in Hosea 2. which of all sins that is partly the greatest to forsake God and cleave to Idols and to give that to them that belongs only to God for they made their Idols their God gave honour and glory to them but the Lord saith I will not give my honour to another nor my glory to graven Images Hos 2.13 14. Shee decked her selfe with her ear-rings and her jewels and she followed her Lovers and forgate me saith the Lord. Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse aad speake comfortably to her Hos 11.7 My people are bent to rebellion against me though they called them to the most High yet none at all would exalt him Yet this did not turne the love of the Lord from them for in the 8. and 9. verses he saith How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I delive thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are rouled together I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the holy One in the midst of thee Ezek 20.44 And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have respect unto you for my Names sake and not after your wicked wayes nor according to your corrupt workes O ye house of Israel saith thâ—â— Lord Isa 43.25 I even I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and wilâ— not remember thy sins Isa 44.22 I have put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinner as a mist turn unto me for I have redeemed thee Jer. 33.8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me I will pardon all their iniquities wherby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgressed against me Jer. 50.20 And in those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the iniquitieâ— of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and for the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for I will be mercifull unto them Here is the free mercie of God and riches of his love belonging to all man-kinde that ever was is or shall be there is not any one excluded from his love for there is nothing can keep us from God but our sins and that Christ hath dyed for and hath made full satisfaction to his Father and hath obtained of his Father a full pardon for all the sinne of all man-kinde although they be never so great 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe He was a persecuter and a blasphemer and an injurious person yee saith he I obtained mercy The Lord is no respecter of persons He shed his dearest heart-blood for all sinners as well for the chiefe of sinners as any other for without blood-shedding there can be no remission of any one sinne though never so small in our apprehension but by the blood of Christ being shed for us the greatest sins are pardoned as well as any For the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all unrighteousnesse And this gift of God in giving his Sonne is a free gift of God given to all to redeeme all from sinne hell and the Devill Hes 13.9 O Israel one hath destroyed thee but in me is thy helpe The Devill having overcome man by his tempting the woman and they yielding to him wee were all destroyed by the Devill but in Christ is our helpe against him Jer. 31.11 The Lorâ— hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he All man-kinde fell by and in the fall of Adam from that glorious condition that thâ—â— were in before they sinned So we all fell froâ— that glorious condition with him into a staâ—â— of condemnation sin and the wrath of Goâ— both spirituall and temporall and hell anâ— damnation and as we all fell in Adam so we are all raised by and in Christ not to thaâ— condition that Adam fell from but from thaâ— condition that he fell into and as we all dyeâ— in Adam so wee are all made alive in Chriâ—â— Adam was a publique person for man-kind so was Christ therefore he is called the seconâ— Adam Therefore as by the offences of one which was Adam judgement came upon all men to câ—â— demnation even so by the righteousnesse of ouâ— which is Christ the free gift came upon all mâ—â— unto justification of life For as by one mans disâ—â— bedience many were made sinners so by the obeâ—â—ence of one shall many be made righteous Rom. â—â— 18 19. All were made sinnners in Adam so all aâ—â— made righteous by Christ Quest How are all made righteous 〈◊〉 Christ Answ He being made a publique person so all man-kinde he undertook to make full satisfaction for our sins which he did comit so he redeemed us from that condemnation that came upon all the world by the fall of Adam so that for those sinnes wee shall never be condemned Hee hath redeemed the whole world from the Devill and sin to himselfe that we should serve him in all love so the Devill and sinne cannot keepe the world out of heaven they can doe us no harme yea those that are very great sinnes cannot nothing but unbeliefe can keepe us out There was nothing that kept the children of Israel out of the Land of Canaan but unbeliefe We see they could not enter in because of unbeliefe Heb. 3.19 They had committed many sins and those that were very great ones and God complained of their sins in
in the booke of the Law to them Gal. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 Exod. 20. 〈◊〉 the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting tâ—â— niquity of the Fathers upon the children unto third and fourth generation of them that hate And the Lord hath too pure an eye to behâ— iniquity there is not any thing that is anâ— my to God but the Devill and sin 1 Job He that committeth sin is of the Devill for Devill sinneth from the beginning And as lâ—â— as ye commit sinne the Devill is your Fat John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Deâ—â— and the lusts of your father you will doe and thou art the servant to the Devill Rom. 6. Know ye not to whom ye yeild your selves servâ— to obey his servants ye are to whom you obey 〈◊〉 ther of sin unto death or of obedience unto riâ—â— â—esse And vers 20. When ye were the servants â—â—n ye were free from righteousnesse Vers 23. 〈◊〉 wages of sinne is death And if thou enterâ—e sinne in thy heart the Lord will not hear 〈◊〉 prayer The Lord is the searcher of hearts â—d hee knowes the wickednesse of thy heart â—d thou must give account for every idle â—ught therefore you must search and exaâ—â—e you throughly of all your sinnes and 〈◊〉 truly humbled for every sinne But many â—en God shewes them their sins it is too teâ—us to them they cannot beare it they â—uld fain have comfort administred to them â—t we have no such warrant from God till we 〈◊〉 you throughly humbled for your sins wee â—â—st not daube you up with untemper'd morâ—â— but doe to you as a skilfull Surgeon doth â—a dangerous wound search it to the quick â—â—d you must endanger it if you meane to be â—red For if we tell you of mercy before you â—e throughly humbled this will heale your â—unds without but they will ranckle withâ—â—â— and that is the reason your comforts so be and flow We are Christs Embassadours and we must â—e the message of Christ which is the deliâ—â—ring the Doctrine of Christ and ye shall find at we preached the Law and Judgement to â—ing them in to repent Mat. 11.21 22 23 24. Then hee began to upbraid the Cities wherâ— most of his mighty workes were done because 〈◊〉 repented not Woe unto thee Chorazin 〈◊〉 unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty worâ— which have been done in you had been done in Tâ—â— and Sidon they would have repented long 〈◊〉 in sack-cloath and ashes But I say unto you shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at day of judgement than for you And thou 〈◊〉 pernaum which art exalted unto heaven shâ— be brought downe to hell For if the mighty worâ— which have beene done in thee had beene done Sodome it would have remained untill this dâ—â— But I say unto you that it shall be more toleraâ— for the land of Sodome in the day of judgemâ—â—â— than for thee Luke 13.3 Except yee repent 〈◊〉 shall all likewise perish And when you are thus throughly humble then there is mercie offered you Mat. 11.2 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy 〈◊〉 den and I will give you rest Take my yoke up you and learne of mee for I am meeke and loâ—â— in heart and ye shall find rest for your soules 〈◊〉 my yoke is easie and my burthen is light Jer. 2â— 11 12 13. For I know the thoughts that I thiâ— towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace aâ— not of evill to give you an expected end Thâ— shall ye call upon me and ye shall goe and pray unâ— me and I will hearken unto you And ye shâ—â— â—â—eke me and finde me when ye shall search for â—e with all your heart Jer. 33.8 And I will canse them from all their iniquity whereby they â—â—ve sinned against mee and whereby they have â—ansgressed against me Psalm 103.8 9. 111. 〈◊〉 13. The Lord is mercifull and gracious slow anger and plenteous in mercy He will not â—â—wayes chide neither will he keepe his anger for â—er He hath not dealt with us after our sinnes â—r rewarded us according to our iniquities For 〈◊〉 the heaven is high above the earth so great is â—s mercie to them that feare him As farre as the â—ast is from the West so far hath he removed our â—ansgressions from us Like as a Father pittieth 〈◊〉 children so the Lord pittieth them that feare â—im And vers 3. He forgiveth all thine iniquiâ—â—es hee healeth all thy diseases Amoâ— 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel Seeke 〈◊〉 me and ye shall live And many other plaâ—es of Scripture to this purpose might be cited â—ut these places are sufficient to shew you what sad condition you are in so long as you conâ—â—nue in your sins and how mercifull the Lord 〈◊〉 if you returne unto him with all your heart â—nd be truly humbled and walke in a new ourse of life Exod. 20.6 Shewing mercy unto â—housands of them that love me and keep my Comâ—andements Thus they are able to lay open thy wounds and make them bigger and in stead of pâ—ring in the precious balsome of the Church Christ which will cure thy wounds tâ— powre in brine to terrifie thee and they thee upon duties and tell thee thou must thus and thus qualified before thou commeâ— Christ but they will not nor cannot thee how thou must come to be thus qualifiâ—â— for they will tell thee all thy righteousnesse iâ— filthy rags When thou hearest these things thou aâ—â— great deal more troubled then ever thou waâ— thou art now at thy wits end and even reaâ—â— to despair thou canst see nothing but sin aâ—â— if thou couldst repent and walke in a nâ—â—â— course of life then there was hopes of merâ—â— but thou findest thou canst not doe it theâ—fore thou conciudest there is no mercy 〈◊〉 thee therefore thou art sore troubled aâ—â— knowst not what to doe Thou seest the Loâ—â— angry with thee for thy sins and thinkst thâ—â— all the afflictions that comes upon thee is 〈◊〉 judgement of the Lord for thy sinnes the thinkest thy selfe to be a damned reprobaâ—â—â— quite empty of all goodnesse and expectâ—â— daily some fearefull judgement to fall upâ—â— thee for thy sinnes Oh thinkst thou if 〈◊〉 wrath of God lay so heavy upon Christ thâ— made him to cry out My God my God why bâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 forsaken me and he having no sin Matth. 〈◊〉 46. For if they doe these things in a greene 〈◊〉 what shall be done in a dry tree Luke 23. And if the righteous scarcely be saved where all the sinner and ungodly appeare 1 Pet. 4.18 â—en thou thinkest I shall surely be damned â—â—en the Devill tempts thee to lay violent â—â—nds on thy selfe and many times thou art â—dy to doe it but that the Lord prevents it â—â—d the Ministers sees thee in such a despairing â—â—ndition they tell thee thou must believe â—â—at the Lord hath done these and these things 〈◊〉 thee And if thou wilt lay hold
righteousnesse too narrow to cover her sewithal her filthy nakednesse wil appear for that But that no man is justified by the woâ—â—â— of the Law in the fight of God is evident Gâ—â— 3.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that conâ—â—â—â— passe your selves about with sparkes walke in light of your fire and in the sparkes which ye haâ—â— kindled This shall have ye of mine hand ye shâ—â—â— lye downe in sorrow Isa 50.11 This fire that we kindle is our righteornesse these sparks are one and the same wiâ—â— the fire This shall ye have at my hand ye shall downe in sorrow The children of God that have and doe walke in this darke condition going on in a egall and pharisaicall way thinking to be jutified by their owne righteousnesse for they know no other way for if they did they would willingly embrace it They lye downe â—n aboundance of sorrow they have little comfort and joy and when they have 't is quickly gone and the more they struggle the more they are entangled like a bird in a net and cannot tell which way to getout but thou wilt say though my righteousnesse will not â—ustifie me before God yet I must performe duties to him because he commands me for â—f there be a willing minde it is accepted for â—hat a man hath and not for that he hath not For where much is given much is required but where little is given there is little required So if I doe my good will God will accept it for that which I cannot doe Christ will doe for me I answer That either thou must be justified wholly by thy owne righteousnesse or wholâ—y by Christs righteousnesse for thou must not put them together it is forbid to put linnen and woollen together It is Christ that doth all and he will have all the glory before the Sonne of righteousnesse is risen to thee through the cleer truths of himselfe thou canst not know it for in thy sight we see ligh And while then we make broken Cesterns our selves that will hold no water and foâ—sake the fountaine of living water as tâ—â— Scribes and Pharisees did which Christ uâ—braided them for John 3.19 This is codemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather than light in tâ—â— time of their ignorance God winked at it bâ— when hee came himselfe to teach them in tâ—â— true way they despised him and persecutâ— him and said he was a seducer of the peoplâ— John 7.12 Thou art a Samaritan and hast Devill John 8.48 And he is mad why be ye him and said he was a blasphemer And mâ—ny other reproachfull words against him aâ—â— his Doctrine and his Disciples for whiâ—â— things they were condemned So when thâ— light doth appeare to thee take heed thâ— dost not persecute it as they did and noâ— can by their striving and strugling make thâ— Sonne to rise and expell this darknesse anâ— give us the true light till he please to doe himselfe Thus I have shewed thee that yet thou haâ— not seene the salvation of the Lord Now shall shew you how you shall stand still and 〈◊〉 the salvation of the Lord. Thou hast tryed aâ— the wayes that thou knowest and hast labored exceedingly to find out the wayes of God out cannot find it out We have toiled all the â—ight and taken nothing Luke 5.5 Before Christ came in appearance to them â—heir labour was in vaine they could find noâ—hing But when Christ came to them he bid them let downe their nets into the Sea for a draught When they had thus done they enclosed a great multitude of fishes And so it hath been with thee thou hast toyled all the night and hast taken nothing But when Christ manifests himselfe to thee to teach thee what to doe which hee will doe by his Spirit in his time then thou shalt receive multitudes of mercies and exceeding riches of his â—ove and goodnesse and the joy of it and a countenance of it in the meane time Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 49.23 And thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that waite for mee Habak 2.1 2 3. I will stand upon my watch and set mee upon the tower and will watch to see what the Lord will say unto me and what I shall answer when I am reproved And the Lord answered and said write the vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may run that readeth it For the vision is yet for an appointe time but in the end it shall speake and not lye Though it tarry wait for it because it will sure come it will not tarry Isa 30.18 Blessed anâ— all they that waite for him Prov. 20.22 Waâ—â— on the Lord and he will save thee Psal 56.3 What time I am affraid I will trust in thee And they that doe waâ—te upon the Lord shall finâ— that they have not lost their labour but he will abundantly fulfill their desires The Lorâ— wil fight for you and ye shall hold your peace for your strength is to sit still Isa 30.7 Thou hast laboured a great while in vain in thy own strength couldst not find God now sit still a while Heb. 10.37 For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Thou must not be discontented because thou hast not thy desires granted when thou wouldst John 7.6 My time is not yet come but your time is alwayes ready Cant. 2.7 I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem that yee stirre not up nor awake my Love till he please The Lords time is the best time In the mean time let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 It is not only meant in coveting temporall things but also spirituall but thou wilt be ready to say if I had such and such things as I want and I were thus and thus as such and such is then I should be contented but thou must be contented with such things as thou hast for the Lord knowes what is better for thee than thou dost 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good And I will not leave thee nor forsake thee It is for thy good whatsoever he doth if it had been most to his glory and thy good he would have shewed thee his loving kindnesse at the first and not have wounded thee thus and have led thee by his Spirit in a plaine ready way and have tooke away all things that hath hindered thee But when hee doth shew thee his love thou wilt know how to prize it the better thy happinesse consists not in the actings of Christ in the which it is but the streames