Ioan. Tract â— is the same for substance with that of the Ancient Jews under the Old Dispensation The Patriarchs and Prophets had the same Faith Religion and Worship common with us Christians Nor did they expect then or do they inherit eternal Happiness now upon any other Terms then by a sincere and stedfast Belief of the purchas'd Redemption by their promis'd Messiah 8 And lastly By many other Arguments summ'd up in this Paragraph To these Topics many others might be added if it were necessary to testifie the Divinity and Excellency of our Saviours Doctrine As the Purity of his Life the Sublimity of his Religion the Perfection of its Laws the Force of its Arguments the Testimony of his holy Spirit in Mens Consciences the Operation of his Grace the Fruits and Comforts of the Christian Devotion c. And in a word the whole Contexture and Design of it can be no other then to glorifie God and to make us Holy and Vertuous here that we may be eternally Glorious hereafter Seing then we have the most convincing Attestations that can be given to confirm us in the Belief of the Christian Religion in General and since there 's nothing in the whole Constitution as will more fully appear in the Sequel of this Discourse but what 's most worthy of God and consentaneous to the rectified Reason and Interest of Mankind We must hence necessarily infer that it derives it's Original from Heaven and can be no less than the Contrivance and Product of an infinite and eternal Wisdom and Goodness Thus much concerning the Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion in General PAss we on now to Particulars Wherein I shall endeavour to give you the clearest Account I can of God's infinite and Inconceivable Love to Mankind and what admirable Means and Methods the Divine Wisdom Col. 1.20 and Goodness was pleas'd to make use of to reconcile the World unto himself And in treating of this great Mistery of Man's Redemption We shall consider 1st The Partition of the Booâ—â— The several Names and Appellations which are promiscuously ascrib'd to our blessed Saviour in Holy Scripture the explication whereof will give great Light to and make the Doctrine of the Gospel much more intelligible 2dly We shall Discourse distinctly of his Divine and Humane Natures and their Hypostatical Vnion in the Person of Christ And proceed to assign some special Reasons why the Mediator of the New Covenant must be God Why he must be Man and why God and Man in the same Person to constitute him a fit Mediator between both 3dly We shall enquire Particularly into the Nature of Christ's Offices and the Manner of their Administration All which will clearly illustrate the great End and Design of our Blessed Saviour's Incarnation and what great things he has done and suffer'd for us that we should live comfortably here and be happy for ever To Treat of all which we now proceed distinctly and in Order CHAP. I. Of the Names and Titles ascrib'd to our Blessed Saviour in Holy Scripture OF those sundry Names and Appellations ascrib'd to the Eternal Son of God and Saviour of the World in Holy Scripture some have respect to his Person others to his Offices And are variously distinguisht into Proper and Figurative Denominations agreeable thereto As to his Divine Nature in the greatest propriety of Speech He is call'd God â—â—iles relating to Christ's God-head Isa 9.6 The true God 1 John 5.20 The great God Micah 5.4 5. The Son of God Mark 15.39 and Luke 8.28 And the only begotten Son of God John 3.16 And in the same respect he is said to be tho' Figuratively the Word of God John 1.1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 or the Character of his Person As to his Humane Nature To his Manhood he is properly term'd the Son of Man Luke 9.56 A Man of Sorrows Isa 53.3 The Son of Abraham the Son of David c. Luke 3.23 24 c. And upon the some account tho' Figuratively he is said to be the Seed of the Woman Acts 13.23 The Seed of Abraham the seed of Isaac the Seed of Jacob c. Gen. 17.19 Mat. 1. the righteous Branch and he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 25.5 6. As to his two Natures Hypostatically united in the same Person of the Son of God And to both as united in the same Person of Christ he is call'd Emmanuel Mat. 1.23 The Lord of all things Col. 1.16 17 18 19. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 Again in Relation to his Offices in general Titles relating to his Offices in general he is called Jesus Mat 1.21 which is an Hebrew word and alwayes written in the Syriack Translation of the New Testament signifying to Save and therefore 's a Name most agreeable to his Mediatorship He is also called Christ John 6.69 Which is a Greek word signifying to Anoint From which two Names it may be reasonably conjectur'd that he is the anointed Saviour of the whole Race of Mankind of the Hebrews and Greeks both of the Jew and Gentile To which may be added the Titles of the Messiah the Saviour Acts 5.31 Salvation it self in the Abstract Luke 1.69 and Luke 19.9 The Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 The Redeemer of the World Tit. 2.14 The hope and expectation of the Gentiles Mat. 12.21 The Desire and Delight of all Nations Isa 2.2 And properly speaking he is all and every one of these And in the same respect tho in a Figurative Sense He 's intituled the Bridegroom Mat. 9.15 The Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1.22 23. The Foundation of a Building 1 Cor. 10.4 A Lion Rev. 5.5 Bread from Heaven John 6.48.50 The Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 Light it self Joh. 1.4 8 9. The Morning Star Num. 24.17 A Vine John 15.1 The Tree of Life Rev. 22.2 But more Particularly And to his several Offices in particular and with special reference to his Offices As 1st To his Priestly Office To his Priestly Office He is call'd our High Priest Heb. 3.1 The Priest Heb. 7.3 11. Oblation or Sacrifice Heb. 9.26 The Lamb of God Job 1.29 36. The Paschal Lamb Exod. 13.13 Comp. Rev. 13.8 The Passover it self 1 Cor. 5.7 2dly As to his Prophetical Office To his Prophetical Offices he is said to be our Pastor and great Shepherd John 10.14 16. Rabbi Mâ—ster Mark 10.17 John 1.28 Apostle Heb. 3.1 Minâ—ster of the Circumcision Rom. 15.8 c. 3dly As to his Kingly Office To his Kingly Office he bears the Titles of King Luke 23.2 3. Prince Acts 5.31 King of Peace Heb. 7.2 Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 The Ruler of all things Micah 5 2. Phil. 2.10 11. and Judge of all men Acts 10.42 Titles deriv'd from his Types And sometimes his Titles are deriv'd from the Types as the
we may have the stronger Gust and Relish of that Spiritual Food on which we should desire to live for ever And thus the Primitive Christians denied themselves the Delicacies of this World that their Souls being weaned from them they might be taught beforehand to live on the Delights of beatified Spirits and never desire to return again to their Bodies till they come to be glorified together in the happy Resurrection to the Life Eternal And here 't will be necessary to consider on the contrary The Mischiefs of this Sin that all manner of Excess in Drinking is extremely pernicious to and destructive of the Weal and Happiness of the Body both in this and a future Life For intemperate Drinking is the Fewel of all sensual and filthy Lusts it makes Men's Bodies sottish and unweildy and disposes them rather to Sleep and Idleness than a prudent Watchfulness and a religious Care over themselves In these extravagant Fits Jerem. 5.8 Rom. 13.13 't is no wonder to see Men like sed Horses neigh after their Neighbours Wives For St. Paul adds Chambering and Wantonness as the necessary Consequence and Effect of Rioting and Drunkenness And 't is notoriously evident that the most Drunkards Blaspheme Swear Lie Rail against and Back-bite their innocent Neighbours engage many times in irreconcilable Quarrels and do often kill one another so that in this Carrier of Drunkenness Men I should rather say Beasts seldom stop at any Sin which falls in their Way This is the most compendious Method for spending their Estates and ruining their Reputations and hereby they seldom fail of contracting an ill habit of Body and laying a sure Foundation for all lingering and mortal Diseases But that which is yet more fatal and mischievous an habitual Drunkenness doth so dull the Edge impair the strength and cloud the discerning Facultie of their Reafon and Judgement that 't is impossible for the customary Drunkard to practice any Virtue or Duty aright or resist the power and prevalence of any evil Appetite or Temptation Besides this sort of Extravagance is wholly inconsistent with the Gifts and Graces of God's holy and blessed Spirit and 't is utterly impossible saith St. Hierom that a Man should be filled with strong Drink and God's sanctifying spirit at the same time The Holy Ghost has always put them as Opposites in Scripture be not Drunk with Wine saith the Apostle wherein is excess Eph. 5.18 but be filled with the Spirit And how is it possible that any Man should serve these two arbitrary Masters whose Commands are so contradictory to each other To all which we might add the Consideration of those future and eternal Torments which must certainly be the Portion of intemperate and debaucht Persons in another World See and consider those apposite Texts of Scripture Luke 21.34 Gal. 5.21 c. Since then Temperance and Moderation in Eating and Drinking is a great Step to all other Virtues and seing the Consequences and Effects of this kind of Excess are so pernicious and destructive to the Souls and Bodies of Men both in this and another Life How are we oblig'd to keep our Appetites within the due bounds of Sobriety that we may enjoy the Benefits of the one and be exempted from the Inconveniencies and Mischiefs of the other And to this End I would advise my Reader to consider that short Rule of Pythagoras Above all things saith he be sure that you make your selves Masters of your Bellies And that you may do it to the purpose cut off all the unnecessary Supplies of Meats and Drinks and the Siege cannot last long Avoid and abandon the Conversation of debaucht and intemperate Persons Let neither their smooth Language nor their Scoffings and Railings against you allure or perswade you to a compliance with their inhumane and beastly Immoralities lest they perswade you to run with them to the same Excess of Riot 1 Pet. 4.4 These are the Devils Engines which he frequently sets on Work to precipitate inconsiderate Men from the Throne of Grace and Virtue And alas how many thousands have complain'd in their last Agonies that these Inchantments have decoy'd them into those Sins which they must eternally smart for Again it will be of great Use to consider how acute those Twinges of Conscience are which will rack and torment the Drunkard that has any Conscience at all of the Sin if he should outlive the extravagant Fit How must he who is so grievously perplext as the most Drunkards are with a yesternights Debauch be rackt and tormented if ever in a sober Mind with the dreadful apprehensions of those future and approaching Judgements How shall those bruitish Sensualists who have wallow'd in a Sea of delicate Liquors brook the peremptory refusal of a Cup of cold Water to cool their Tongues Luk. 16.24 Consider impartially those Woes denounced against this Sin by the Prophet Isa 5.11 12. And if neither the fear of God nor the Pleasures nor Advantages of this Virtue of Temperance can influence you into a compliance with it and perswade you to the practice of it yet let the consideration of those present and future Mischiefs oblige you to fly from the Wrath to come Matth. 3.7 and if all these Arguments will not awake you from your senseless Stupidity you must perish in your Sins and the Bloud be upon your own Heads 3dly The next Branch of Sobriety which concerns our Selves is the temperate and moderate Use of Apparel which is indispensably requir'd in both Sexes In the moderate Use of Apparel And if we consider the Ends for which Cloths are ordain'd I see no reason why Men and Women should be so curious and make use of so many strange Artifices to deck and beautifie their Bodies For 1 the Original Institution of Apparel after the Fall of Man was to cover their Nakedness and preserve them from the Violence and Extremity of Wind and Weather Which Consideration should rather humble us than by decking our Bodies imprudently and sinfully Act. 25.23 to glory in those things which are the Ensigns of our Shame and Sorrow 2 In the use of Apparel there must be a Distinction according to the Law of Nature and the Custom of all Nations between Men and Women That there be no design of Levity nor incentive to Lust in our Habiliments when we meet together 3 That both Men and Women should keep within their Faculties and Callings And tho' there be some difference allow'd between Persons of a higher and lower Rank yet there should be that Sobriety in the Habits of both that there be nothing of Novelty or Vanity or Superfluity which may tempt themselves or others to Lust or Pride or vain Glory Hence we may remarque that 't is most unbecoming Christians especially to use those disingenuous and unlawful Arts of Patching Painting and Perfuming their Bodies a vanity too much practic'd by those of the weaker Sex to the great scandal
of our Religion and Government These Arts of Leger-demain are expresly forbidden in Scripture and are particularly censur'd in Iezebel as a Badge of her Whorish Impudence 2 King 9.30 The Idolater is compar'd by the Prophet to an Adultereres who Paints her face to tempt and ensnare her Lovers See the Prophet Isaiah more fully to this purpose chap. 3. from the 16 to the end The ancient Fathers declaim passionately against it as most offensive and dishonourable to God and a scandal to the Modesty of Christians Tertullian boldly affirms Tertul. de cultu Mulich That Women by their artificial Dressings as Painting Patching Persuming c. do allure and invite Men to Lust and open a Door to those Temptations which should rather be shut out And since saith he God did not create them in those Forms which they so unwarrantably assume it would be enquir'd whether they be willing to appear in this Disguise that God should not know them for his at the day of Judgement Again this is not only a defileing of God's Temples and a correcting of his handy-work for which he has threatn'd to destroy them In Ep. ad Furcam de vid. Servand In Epist ad Possid but the foremention'd Arts saith St. Hierom are certain Signs of an unchast mind and incentives to Lust St. Aug. is yet more express upon the point where he tells us That the wearing of Gold and precious Stones or the putting on of Costly Apparel are not forbidden to Persons of the best Rank and Quality of the female Sex But for Women to paint and patch to colour or discolour their Faces or to make 'em either more or less white or red then the God of Nature has form'd them is a fallacious kind of Adultery from which it may be reasonably infer'd that they will not be backward when a fit Opportunity presents to make Shipwrack of their Virginity or betray their own Husbands To avoid the Scandal then and dangerous Consequences of those Sins which are inseparable from pompous and immodest Apparel look back to the forecited Passage of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 3.16 17 18 c. and there you 'l see God's dreadful Resentment of it in plain and legible Characters Besides what Reason has any Man or Woman to be proud of or glory in that which is the Badge and Cognizance of their Sin and Slavery But on the Contrary how should we rather study to beautifie our Souls with the precious and lovely Ornaments of Grace and Virtue which can only stand us in stead when all the pompous and phantastical Gaieties of this World do expire and vanish These are the rich Wedding Garments which through the imputative Righteousness of Christ will render our Persons and Performances acceptable to God Rom. 13.14 1 Pet. 3.3 4 5. and so become the chifest Ornaments to us and our Religion We proceed 4thly To those Virtues of Moderation requir'd in our Sleep and Recreations And because the Excess in both is expensive of that precious Talent of Time which should be dearer to us than all things in the World besides therefore we shall treat of them under the same Head of Discourse Now there 's no Man who subscribes to the Truth of the Christian Religion but he will readily acknowledge The Prudent Management of our Time 1 Tim. 6.19 that the great Business we have to do in this World is to lay up for our selves a good Foundation against the Time to come that both our Souls and Bodies may be happy for ever This is the great Task which lies upon our Hands and if it be not diligently and discreetly manag'd we are eternally undone But alas we have but a short Time for the accomplishment of this great Work our hands are very slow in the doing of it and the infinite Justice of God will take a strict and severe account of our Administrations Therefore it must highly import us to be industrious and vigilant in the conscientious Management of all the Duties of our Christian Calling that we may be able to appear before his just and impartial Tribunal with Joy and not with Grief But the Time of our present Life is so uncertain that there 's no one part of it that we can call our own but the present which is yet scarce in our power to dispose of For the Time past cannot be recal'd and how God will be pleased to shorten the remaining part of our Days we are not able to prognosticate Princes and Monarchies have their Periods and Revolutions as well as private Persons and Families What 's become of the Assyrian Persian Graecian and Roman Monarchies Where are those famous Conquerors Cyrus Alexander the great c. and where are their triumphant Wreaths and their other Enfigns of Honour devouring Time has swallow'd 'em all up And our Being here is so transient and uncertain that for any thing we know the next Morning may waft us hence and determine our final Doom and that Eternity which we 've now in our hands may slip through our Fingers before to morrow morning Who then dares be so bold and imprudent as to adventure his eternal Salvation on such a fortuitous Contingency And why should any man neglect that Work one Minute which all will acknowledge is necessary to be done But besides 't is highly considerable that we are now contesting with our potent subtile and mortal Enemies of all sorts and we are fighting for an immarcessible Crown of Glory which cannot be obtain'd without great Diligence Prudence and Watchfulness as well as Courage It behoves us therefore if we desire and hope for the comfortable Success of our Endeavours in this pious Adventure to be temperate in all things 1 Cor. 9.25 and to spend as little of our precious Time as possible either in immoderate Sleep or unnecessary Recreations And 1st We are under many pressing Obligations to be very moderate in our Sleep Temperance in Sleep nor should we desire any more than may fit us for our civil Callings and dispose us for the Business of Religion We must not comply with our Appetites and Passions but consult our Reason and Conscience as to the Measures of our Repose And tho' some Tempers may require more Sleep than others yet in passing our Judgements we must always have an eye to the great Concernments of Eternity This will be the best Expedient to keep both our Souls and Bodies awake and whilst careless and inconsiderate Men are lull'd fast asleep upon the Bed of carnal Security those that are truly watchful having their Lamps burning and Lights shining will be in a fit Posture to meet the Bridegroom with joy at his coming Matth. 25.1 2 c. either by his private Messenger Death or in a general Judgement And as we are thus oblig'd to be moderate in our Sleep So 2dly And in our Recreations In our Recreations There 's no question but seasonable Refreshments are allow'd
in the handling of this Point that I may inform and affect my Reader with the saving Truths and important Duties contain'd in it In order whereunto I shall observe this Method And 1st Titles Synonimous to his Priestly Office Heb. 5.10 Heb. 2.17 Heb. 9.11 1 John 2.2 1 Tim. 2.6 Rev. 13.8 1 Cor. 5.7 Rom. 3.29 Eph .2.14 We shall consider the several Titles ascribd to our blessed Saviour in holy Scripture which are synonimous and correspondent to his Priest-hood wherein he is said to be the great High-Priest the merciful and faithful High-Priest the High-Priest of good things to come the High-Priest over the House of God our Advocate with the Father the Price of our Redemption the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Christ our Passover and the Propitiation for our Sins All which Passages and Compellations do necessarily imply that Christ our High-Priest assum'd our Nature that he might perform absolute unsinning Obedience to the whole Will of God and thereby fulfill the Conditions of the first Covenant which we had wilfully violated in Adam and yet being faultless to undergo and that voluntarily a shameful and painful Death for us upon the Cross to make our Atonement Who having seal'd this new Covenant of our Redemption in his Blood is now ascended into the Heavens where he sits at the right hand of God Heb. 7.25 as we noted before pleading his own Merits and Interceding powerfully for our Reconciliation We pass on 2dly From his Titles to his Office And this great Mystery of our Saviour's Priesthood will I hope be fully stated and consider'd by treating plainly and distinctly of these two Particulars 1 Of the Satisfaction which he made for us on Earth 2 Of his powerful Intercession for us in Heaven The former of these is purchaâ—â— by his Merits the latter is applied by his Mediation He satisfied for our Sins upon the Altar of the Cross and so became a Priest and Sacrifice for us according to the Order of Aaron he applies that Satisfaction and intercedes for us at the right hand of God where he becomes a Priest for ever by the Laws of an unchangeable Priesthood according to the Order of Melchisedec Heb. â— 6 Both these do plainly refer to and directly point at our blessed Jesus the true Priest of the New Covenant Heb. 7.3 〈◊〉 10.1 tho the Order of Melchisedec is far more excellent and honourable than that of Aaron both in respect of the Person and Office But to return I begin First With the Satisfaction which he made for us on Earth Of Christ's Satisfaction on Earth In the handling whereof and for the better understanding of this necessary Point of Faith we shall do these two Things 1 We shall prove that God's Justice is fully Satisfied for Mans Sin and Disobedience and we thereby restor'd to God's Grace and Favour 2 We shall consider by what Methods this great Business was brought to pass For the 1 Christ breathed forth his Soul God's Justice fully satisfied and offer'd up his dearest Life in Satisfaction to God's Justice for the Sins and Transgressions of lost Mankind For all the Projects and Contrivances of Men and Angels were insufficient for this Purpose and all those imaginary Sacrifices of Bulls and Goats c. under the Law tho of God's immediate Institution and Appointment were of little Significancy Heb. 10. For being only Types and Adumbrations of that real Sacrifice of Christ they could not purge the Conscience from Sin much less were they able to satisfie God's Justicie or make our Atonement But the Merits of Christ's Death were every way commensurate to those Ends as will most evidently appear if we consider 1. The Dignity of the Person by whom the Atonement was wrought being no other then God's most dearly beloved Son Who as we have fully prov'd is God co-essential co-equal and co-eternal with the Father 2. This Truth will be fully made out from the Consideration of those grievous Punishments and Indignities which he suffer'd for us from his Cradle to his Cross his whole Life being an entire Series of Miseries and Persecutions Of which more particularly hereafter 3. That God's Justice is fully satisfied by the Propitiation of Christs Merits is most obvious from his own Acknowledgement and Approbation of 'em who has declar'd himself well pleas'd both with the Excellency of his Person and the Sufficiency of his Obedience and Sufferings Consult at your leisure these several Scripture Arguments which are very apposite to our Purpose Viz. Rom. 6.9 Heb. 9.12 25. Heb. 10.10 14. 1 Pet. 3.10 And to inforce the Belief of this necessary Point of Faith See John 1.29 Isa cap. 53. 1 Cor. 15.22 1 Tim. 2.6 and 1 Tim. 4.10 1 John 1.7 and 1 John 2.22 To which may be added the Energy of the Vnion of his Active and Passive Obedience All which being put together are a clear Demonstration of that full and undeniable Satisfaction which Jesus Christ the righteous has made to God's Justice for the Pardon of our Sins and for the Purchase of our Peace and Reconciliation This important Truth being so firmly grounded must obtain and challenge our Belief and practical Assent to it notwithstanding the Cavils of some and the unreasonable Objections of others which have been fram'd against it for if Christ has not made a plenary Satisfaction for the sins of all Mankind then 't would follow that the Priviledges of the Gospel are not extensive to all and if this Hypothesis should be granted then the Guilt of Adam's Sin is of a larger Extent then Christ's Merits which is such a blasphemous Conceit as can never enter into the Thoughts of a sober Christian Again it would be Injustice to damn the Wicked for their Unbelief if Christ have done and suffer'd nothing for them which would also be dangerous to affirm But to put the matter out of Dispute 't is evident from holy Scripture that Christ died even for those that perish Rom. 14. â—â— Heb. 6.4 5 6. 2 Petâ— 2. â—â— And St. Peter complains that there were Hereticks in his time who denied the Lord that bought them Therefore whosoever shall appropriate these Texts of Scripture to believing Christians only must be guilty of great Mistakes in perverting the genuine Sense and Meaning of em for the defence and mentainance of their own erroneous and heterodox Opinions Thus much may suffice for the Confirmation of this Point namely that our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has fully satisfied God's Justice for the Sins of all Men indefinitely without exception and has put all Mankind in an undoubted Capacity of being sav'd 2 We shall enquire by what Methods and after what Manner this Atonement and Propitiation was wrought By what Means this great Propitiation is wrought that we may the more seasonably apply it for the Comfort and Benefit of our Souls And this could not be accomplish'd as we have hinted before by
lasting Monuments of God's Grace and Power and of their Patience and Magnanimity to all succeeding Generations Let no sincere Christian then be discourag'd tho he be now and then obnoxious to Satans Temptations For if he hold out vigorously the Power and Malice of the Devil shall not only be much abated by the Opposition of good Angels who are much more able and active to preserve and protect us then Devils and wicked Men can be to mischieve and hurt us But the Spirit of God is also greater in us 1 Joh. 4.4 then he that is in the World and he who is God over all has prescrib'd such Bounds to our Enemies of all sorts that they are now confin'd like those turbulent and otherwise uncontrolable Waves of the Sea Job 1 1â— that they can only move so far and no further then he pleases But this is to be understood of Believers only For the sinful and disobedient Eph. 2.2 3. the unbelieving and impenient are led captive by him become his absolute Slaves and Vassals and are forward to commit all those Villanies which he doth perswade and tempt 'em to tho never so dishonourable to God or mischievous to themselves and others But here I must note to you Absolute Conquest over Sin not attâ—â—able in this Life that we cannot expect an absolute Conquest over Sin and Satan in this Life by the Sacrifice of Christ's Death And therefore we had need to stand continually upon our Guard and pray incessantly for the Assistances of God's Grace and Spirit to help our Infirmities and enable us to resist them yet this we are certain of which may encourage us in the Conflict that when we come within the Fortifications of the new Hierusalem we shall reap the blessed Fruits of this great Expiation and have a total Exemption from all Temptation Sin and Suffering whatsoever Then shall our Bodies shine as the Brightness of the Sun Beams and as the Stars for ever and ever and our Souls shall be cloath'd with an immaculate and spotless Dei-formity Then shall all those Laws which are now so difficult to be perform'd be either cancell'd and repeal'd or our merciful High-priest will furnish us with a Sufficiency of Will and Power to obey them Then will all our Desires Inclinations and Affections cheerfully concur without any by-respects to our private Interests or Passions in the promoting of God's Glory and the mutual Joy and Happiness of the whole Community of holy and beatified Spirits Then shall all Labour and Travel Sorrow and Sickness be at an end and Death it self which is now so terrible to Flesh and Blood shall be swallow'd up in absolute and perfect Victory Then shall the Devil our most malicious and inveterate Enemy and all his Agents be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone and shall be confin'd eternally to those Flames and Tortures which are prepar'd for him and his Angels There are several other Benefits resulting from this great Propitiation More particular Benefits which I have toucht already and therefore shall only name them here as the Conquest which Christ has obtain'd over the World with all its vain Pomps 1 Joh. 5. â— Honours Beauties Pleasures c. which the Apostle did so much glory in and rejoice at Eph. 2.15 16. He has put away the Enmity between God and Man between one Man and another and between every good man and his own Conscience He has ratified and confirm'd the new Covenant between God and us Heb. 10.29 in his own Bloud repair'd God's Honour which had been so much obscur'd and violated by our Disobedience and Rebellion against him and has restor'd us to all those just Rights and Priviledges which we thereby forfeited and lost He has rais'd and advanc'd us to the Honour and Happiness of God's own Sons thus mystically uniting us to himself and elevating us above the World In a Word he has fully satisfied God's Justice which had been so often affronted by our Iniquities and perfectly made up the Breach between God and Man as we have prov'd before to the advancement of his own Glory and the unspeakable Comfort and Happiness of all true Believers Thus our most faithful and compassionate High-Priest has made our perfect and plenary Atonement with God by that infinite Sacrifice and unsinning Obedience which he perform'd in his Life and has perfected at his Death Which Propitiation of his is fully correspondent to God's determinate Counsel and all the Prophesies and Types in holy Scripture concerning him We have seen likewise what a happy State and Condition Mankind is in by his Assumption of our Nature and what Blessings and Priviledges he has purchas'd for us and will certainly bestow on us if we endeavour to make our Lives the Transcript of his Doctrine and Example We shall Apply this Point by considering what practical Inferences may be drawn from it And 1 The serious and impartial Consideration of this great Mystery The Influence which this Doctrine should have upon Practice should affect our Souls with the highest Transports and oblige us to make the most affectionate Returns of Love and Duty towards him No Imagination could devise any thing beyond this That the Lord of eternal Life should stoop from the Top of Heaven and under the Vail of our Flesh endure the Pain and Infamy of an accursed Cross not only to rescue his Enemies from Death but to exalt them to eternal Life What infinite Obligations are these and how unworthy should we be of those Favours if the effects in our Hearts and Lives do not bear some considerable Proportion to those wonderful Emanations of his Love and Bounty And how should we Love him above all things who has thus loved us 2 This is a most solid Foundation for our Faith Rom. 8.32 our Hope and Confidence to rest upon amongst all the distracting Cares and Sorrows of a miserable World That we live under the Providence and Protection of an all-powerful and merciful God and have the Plea of Christ's infinite Merits to secure and confirm to us our present and eternal Peace upon such reasonable easie Conditions as are propounded in the Gospel If these things were duely weigh'd and consider'd they would prove the best and most absolute Catholicon to cure all the melancholly Suggestions of Distrust and Infidelity 3 Our serious Reflexions upon that black and tragical Scene of Christ's Sorrows and Sufferings for our Sins may give us a true Representation of the damnable Nature heinous Aggravations and dreadful Consequences of 'em and inspire us with the greatest Dread against Detestation of those Enemies which are so dishonourable to God and mischievous to our selves For our Sins alas have been the Betrayers and Slanderers of the most innocent Son of God our best Friend and most compassionate Redeemer and the immediate Authors too of that painful and infamous Death and all the precedent Cruelties which he suffer'd for