The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 4 – Direction 6
DIRECTION IV.
4. Next this, Be ſure that you deeply apprehend the Gracious Nature, Diſpoſition and Office of the Mediator JESUS CHRIST.
THough there can no more be ſaid of the Gracious Nature of the Son, then of the Father's, even, that his Goodneſs is Infinite; yet theſe two advantages this Conſideration will add unto the former. 1. You will ſee here Goodneſs and Mercy in its condeſcenſion, and neerer to you then in the Divine Nature alone it was. Our thoughts of God are neceſſarily more ſtrange, becauſe of our Infinite diſtance from the Godhead: and therefore our apprehenſions of Gods Goodneſs will be the leſſe working, becauſe leſſe familiar. But in Chriſt God is come down into our Nature, and ſo Infinite Goodneſs and Mercy is incarnate. The man Chriſt Jeſus is able now to ſave to the utmoſt all that come to God by him. We have a Mercifull High Prieſt that is acquainted with our Infirmities. 2. Herein we ſee the Will of God putting forth it ſelf for our help in the moſt aſtoniſhing way that could be imagined. Here is more then meerly a Gracious inclination. Its an Office of ſaving and ſhewing Mercy alſo that Chriſt hath undertaken; even to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt: to bring home ſtraying ſouls to God: to be the great Peace-maker between God and man: to Reconcile God to man and man to God: and ſo to be the Head and Husband of his people. Certainly the Devil ſtrangely wrongeth poor troubled ſouls in this point; that he can bring them to have ſuch hard ſuſpicious thoughts of Chriſt, and ſo much to overlook the Glory of Mercy which ſo ſhineth in the face of the Son of Mercy it ſelf. How can we more contradict the Nature of Chriſt, and the Goſpel-deſcription of him, then to think him a deſtroying hater of his creatures, and one that watcheth for our halting, and hath more mind to hurt us then to help us? How could he have manifeſted more willingneſs to ſave? and more tender compaſſion to the ſouls of men, then he hath fully manifeſted? That the Godhead ſhould condeſcend to aſſume our Nature, is a thing ſo wonderfull even to aſtoniſhment, that it puts faith to it to apprehend it: For it is ten thouſand times more condeſcenſion, then for the greateſt King to become a Fly or a Toad to ſave ſuch creatures. And ſhall we ever have low and ſuſpicious thoughts of the Gracious and Mercifull Nature of Chriſt after ſo ſtrange and full a diſcovery of it? If twenty were ready to drown in the ſea, and if one that were able to ſwim and fetch them all out, ſhould caſt himſelf into the water, and offer them his help, were it not fooliſh ingratitude for any to ſay, I know not yet whether he be willing to help me, or not; and ſo to have Jealous thoughts of his good will; and ſo periſh in refuſing his help? How tenderly did Chriſt deal with all ſorts of ſinners? He profeſſed that he came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be ſaved. Did he weep over a rejected unbeleeving people, and was he deſirous of their deſolation? How oft would he have gathered them as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings (mark, that he would have done this for them that he caſt off) and they would not? When his Diſciples would have had fire come down from▪ Heaven to conſume thoſe that refuſed him, he reproves them, and tells them, They kn…w not of what ſpirit they were of (the common caſe of them that miſcarry, by ſuffering their zeal to overrun their Chriſtian Wiſdome and meekneſs.) Yea he prayeth for his crucifyers, and that on the Croſſe, not forgetting them in the heat of his ſufferings: Thus he doth by the wicked: But to thoſe that follow him his tenderneſs is unſpeakable, as you would have ſaid your ſelf if you had but ſtood by and ſeen him waſhing his Diſciples feet, and wiping them; or bidding Thomas put his fingers into his ſide, and be not faithleſs but beleeving. Alas that the Lord Jeſus ſhould come from Heaven to earth, from Glory into humane fleſh, and paſſe through a life of miſery to a Croſſe, and from the Croſſe to the grave, to manifeſt openly to the world the abundance of his Love, and the tenderneſs of his heart to ſinners, and that after all this we ſhould ſuſpect him of cruelty, or hardheartedneſs and unwillingneſs to ſhew mercy, and that the devil can ſo far delude us, as to make us think of the Lamb of God, as if he were a Tyger or devourer!
But I-will ſay no more of this, becauſe Dr Sibbs in his Bruiſed Reed hath ſaid ſo much already: Only remember, that if you would methodically proceed to the attaining of ſolid Comfort, this is the next ſtone that muſt be laid; You muſt be deeply poſſeſſed with apprehenſions of the moſt Gracious Nature and Office of the Redeemer, and the exceeding tenderneſs of his heart to loſt ſinners.
DIRECTION V.
5. The next ſtep in right order to Comfort is this: You muſt beleeve and conſider, the full ſufficiency of Chriſts Sacrifice and Ranſome, for All.
THe Controverſies about this you need not be troubled at: for as almoſt all confeſs this ſufficiency, ſo the Scripture it ſelf, by the plainneſs and fullneſs of its expreſſion makes it as clear as the light, that Chriſt died for All. The fuller proof of this I have given you in publike, and ſhall do yet more publikely, if God will. If Satan would perſwade you either that no Ranſome or Sacaifice was ever given for you, or that therefore you have no Redeemer to truſt in, and no Saviour to beleeve in, and no Sanctuary to fly to from the wrath of God; he muſt firſt prove you either to be no loſt ſinner, or to be a final-impenitent unbeleever, that is, that you are dead already; or elſe he muſt delude your underſtanding, to make you think that Chriſt died not for All; and then I confeſs he hath a ſore advantage againſt your faith and comfort.
DIRECTION VI.
6. The next thing in order to be done is this: Get clear apprehenſions of the freeneſs, fullneſs, and univerſality of the New Covenant or Law of Grace.
I Mean, the Promiſe of Remiſſion, Juſtification, Adoption and Salvation to All, ſo they will beleeve. No man on earth is excluded in the tenor of this covenant: and therefore certainly you are not excluded: and if not excluded, then you muſt needs be included. Shew where you are excluded if you can! You will ſay, But for all this, All men are not Juſtified and ſaved: Anſ. True: becauſe they Will not be perſwaded to Accept the Mercy that is freely given them.
The uſe that I would have you make of this, I will ſhew in the next.