Heaven Upon Earth, Sermons · Sermon
A SERMON
on Heb. 10. v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart, in ful assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
THe confident approaching of sinners to God, is the great design of the manifestation of his Grace in the Gospel; and that they may boldly, though humbly, draw near unto, and have communion with him, is the great fruit of Christs purchase; the Apostle discoursing here to these Hebrews, of the excellent advantages which they had in and by Jesus Christ (whereof he gives a short summary and abridgement, v. 19. 20, 21.) drawes thence a pathetick exhortation by way of conclusion, that Believers would make use of, and improve these advantages and priviledges, in a confident approaching to God, Let us draw near (saith he v. 22.) in full assurance of faith: But because there are two things that readily stand in the way of Believers their coming to God, he casts in two requisit qualifications of their coming, for removing these obstructions, and to let us see, that though he allow of the well grounded confidence of faith, yet he doth not allow of carnal presumption in approaching to God. The 1. thing that stands in their way is carnalness and deceit of heart; and the qualification which he requires for removing of it, is in these words, Let us draw near with a true heart; Which is not to be understood of a simply si…less heart; but of a sincere, honest and upright heart, a clean heart, loathing and working out the remainder of pollution and impurity; for its opposed to an unclean, deceitful and hypocritical heart, otherwayes the next words of sprinkling, and washing would not be added: But because, 2ly. Believers win not in this life to that perfection in purity and sincerity, but still they are conscious to themselves of a remainder of deceit, impurity and hypocrisie to be, and abide in them; so that if they have no more but the testimony of their own purity, and sincerity to look to▪ it will be but as one leg to walk upon, in their drawing near to God; They might therefore object, alace! We have but little if any thing of a pure and sincere heart; he answers this, by adding the second qualification, Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water; Which is (as he had said) wherein soever ye be unclean and defiled, and whatever be your impurity, deceit or hypocrisie; come to the blood of Christ, that ye may be sprinkled and washe… thereby, and then come forward, and draw near to Go… in full assurance of faith; In a word he would have them coming, and coming in sincerity; and whatever lamented over, and loathed deceit and hypocrisie, or uncleanness, they find in themselves; he would not have that keeping them back; because there is an efficacy in the blood of Christ, to purge away both the guilt and filth of sin, and to procure welcome to such as are sincere and single in purifying their heart and way, though they be not perfitly pure, but many degrees removed from it, and because thereof, are under many quarrels from God, and challenges from their own Consciences; he would have such making use of that blood for removing all quarrels, and so to come forward.
This Phrase of having the conscience sprinkled, is an allusion to that which we have, Exod. 12. v. 7. and 13. Where the Lord being to smite all the first-born of Egypt, to prevent the falling of the stroak and plague on the Israelites, he appoints them to kill a Lamb, and to sprinkle the Lintel and Door▪ posts of their Houses with the blood thereof, that when the destroying Angel passed thorow to smite the first-born of the Egyptians, he might pass over their houses, that were so sprinkled: and the force of the allusion is this, Mans Conscience in a natural estate, is like that destroying Angel, and as Israel be-sprinkled the door posts of their houses with the blood of the Paschal Lamb▪ so he would have them to be-sprinkle their hearts with the blood of Christ, as Chap. 9. 14. and 12. v. 24. And then their Conscience will not smite them to their hurt, but they shall be past over as the Israelits were passed over by the destroying Angel.
In the words then these two are clear▪ 1. That the Conscience of a person un-reconciled to God, is a mighty fearce, and terrible pursuer, ready to seize on him, as the avenger of blood did on the Man-slayer, or as the destroying Angel did on the Egyptians; And, O! but it be a dreadful thing to be obnoxious to Gods wrath, and to the challenges, accusations, throws and pangs of a Conscience, that hath just ground of a quarrel against a man; who hath nothing wherewith to answer its challenges, and accusations. 2ly. That the efficacy of Christs blood is such, that it is able to purge the Conscience of such a man that fleeth to it, and to fence and guard him against the wrath of God, and the challenges and accusations of his own Conscience▪ so that as it hath no just ground to pursue, so it being Gods Deputy, it cannot, neither will pursue him as Gods enemy, it having no warrand from him as its Soveraign to do so; but as the sprinkling of the houses of the Israelits with the blood of the passe-over Lamb preserved them from being plagued or hurt by the destroying Angel; so there is an efficacy in the Blood of Jesus Christ, to purge and pacify the Conscience of the person, that in good earnest hath believing recourse to it, to preserve him from the stroak of Gods justice and wrath, and from the pursuit and accusations of his own Conscience, I say when it is had recourse to, actually applyed, and made use of, by Faith.
We cleared and confirmed these two Doctrines, or two Branches of the same Doctrine the other day, and now we come to the Use of them, which is Fourfold, 1. For Information and Direction. 2ly. For the commendation of the bargan of free Grace. 3ly. For the consolation of Believers in Christ. And 4ly. For advertisement and warning to others.
For the First Use, Ye may see here a main lesson of the Gospel, and from this ye may hear glad and joyful tydings to a tossed and troubled Sinner, whose Conscience is pursuing him like an armed man, nay the Conscience is more terrible, when awakned, then any the greatest army of men: But behold here, there is a way to win to peace, under these tossings and troubles, and to a calme in the midst of that terrible tempest and storm; to an escape and deliverance from the hot pursuer and avenger of blood (as it were) a city of refuge to flee unto, even the blood of Iesus Christ that speaks better things then the blood of Abel, even that blood of sprinkling that speaks peace when it is applyed by Faith.
In prosecution of this Use, we shall a little clear th…se three, 1. What a sinner lying under the lashes of his Conscience, coming to this blood, may expect. 2ly. How he may attain that which he may warrantably expect. 3ly▪ when he may and ought in a more especial manner to make use of it.
As to the First, viz. What a Conscience-tossed and troubled sinner may expect, by fleeing to the blood of Christ? Gods rich and liberal allowance on him is, drawing …ear to him with full assurance of faith, coming to him with confidence and boldness, as a Father in all his worship-addresses and applications: The meaning is not, That the sinner under a quarrel fleeing to this blood, hath no ground of humiliation, and repentance for sin, nor of challenges on that account; these may, and should be, where the blood of Christ is made use of, and applyed by faith to the persons Conscience; They will not marr this confidence, and boldness, nor full assurance of faith that we speak of (but rather further it) as is clear from the drawing near of the Saints to God recorded in the Scripture; As for instance, in that woman spoken of Luke 7. 38. who weeps, and weeps so abundantly, that she washes the Lords feet with her tears, yet she draws near to him with confidence; nay this drawing near with full assurance of faith doth not remove all fear, looking on fear as it carries along with it, the consideration of the infinit distance and dis-proportion that is betwixt the majesty of the great God, and a finit seckless and sinful creatures, nor that holy awe and fillal reverence that is due to him, and well consistent with this full assurance of faith, nay inseparable from the lively, and kindly exercise of it: But it supposeth these Four, 1. That the Believer fled to the blood of sprinkling, may boldly go to God in prayer, as if his friendship with him in Adam had never been broken; as the Apostle insinuats, v. 19. while he sayes, Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the hollest, &c. There is a liberty and boldness (as I just now said) allowed him to call God Father, as if the former covenant had never been broken, by a Son turning a Rebel and Traitor; The covenant of grace under the bond of which he is brought, as Gods confederat, making the relation to him as neer, strait, kindly, firm and sure as it was in that other, with considerable superadded advantages.
2ly. That he may meddle with, and make use of the promises, of pardon of sin, of sanctification, of throwbearing in affliction, of quickning, of peace, of comfort, &c. according as he stands in need with confidence; and may draw near with full assurance of the faith of Gods faithfulness, as to the performance of them, in his own measure, manner and time; so that if the Believer could as fully and strongly exercise his faith on the promise, as he hath warrand to do; he might with as much confidence, and fulness of assurance cast himself on them, …s Adam in innocency, did on the promise of life in the first covenant; because the blood of Christ applyed by faith, giveth as real, just and legal a right to the promises of the covenant of grace, as Adam had to the promise of life by the covenant of works; the condition of that covenant, viz. perfyt holiness and obedience, is fulfilled by Christ, in our name and room.
3ly. That the sprinkling of the Conscience by the blood of Christ, giveth the Believer a well grounded hope of heaven, of eternal life, and of glory, even of all things that are contained in the promises; Therefore▪ Heb. 6. 11. The Apostle exhorts Christians thus, Shew furth the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end, and be followers of them, who through faith and patience have inherited the promises: The lively application of faith to Christs blood, reaches to the full assurance of the hope of all that is contained in the promise; and if the promise be a solid and firm ground, and if faith lean realy and strongly to it, hope may well expect the great things in it.
4ly. The Believer who hath his Conscience sprinkled with this blo… … expect full and through publication of absolution and justification in the court, and before the tribunal of God, at the day of judgement, as the divine historian gives ground of hope, Acts 3. v. 19. And in the court of the word and of his own Conscience here in this life; He hath ground with the Apostle, Rom. 8. to say▪ nay triumphantly to boast, and bid an eternal defiance to all that would offer at it, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that justifies, who is he that condemneth? He may say that indeed, he was owing, and a debter once, but they cannot crave payment of, and satisfaction for the debt from him now, because by the blood of Christ he is acquit; For it is Christ who hath died, yea rather is risen again, who is at the right-hand of God making intercession for us: The believing elect making the right use of this blood, of this most precious blood of Jesus Christ, may humbly, and confidently expect all these things, from and by it▪ O! great and glorious expectation.
As for the 2d. thing, how or after what manner, or by what means this unspeakably excellent priviledge of drawing … with full assurance o… faith, with holy boldness and confidence to obtain all these great things, may be attained and win at? It is answered in the words going a little before, Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Iesus, let us draw near, &c. Its supposed▪ … That there be a fleeing to Christ for satisfying of divine justice. 2ly. That application be made to him▪ for …ging, pacifying and satisfying the Conscience▪ … it is with the Conscience in this case▪ as it is with the Sea after a great storm, which after the ceasing of the storm, will, fro some time have its waves much tossed, and … in great agitation; so after divine justice is pacified and …almed (…o speak so) by the Souls fleeing to Christ for satisfying thereof, there may remain still for a while (shorter or longer, as he shall think fit) some raging as it were, some trouble, tossing, and agitation in the Conscience of the Believer; as we may see in that instance of David, who, after the prophet Nath… had made intimation of pardon to him, yet is still in considerable disquiet, and agitation of his Conscience, as the 51. Psal. gives us an account: Now, as for the attainin of calmness, tranquillity and peace to the Conscience, we would say, that whatever is necessary, and requisit ing the application of Christs righteousness, for making of our peace with God, the same is needful to calme, and give peace to the Conscience: What is that? will ye say, See Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not▪ but believeth on him who justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness; which being joyned, with the words in the text, sayes, that the way to this peace and calmness, is first, not for persons to staift, or refuse their debt, but to take with it. 2ly. To renounce and disclaim all possibility to satisfie divine justice themselves. 3ly. To flee to Jesus Christ, and through virtue of his satisfaction and blood, and the covenant of his grace, to rest on him for pardon; To believe on him, (tho someway ungodly) who justifieth the ungodly; For it is not enough to take with our debt, and to quite and renounce the covenant of works, except we actually rest on Christ, by virtue of the covenant of grace; This is it which the Apostle holdeth furth, Philip. 3. 9. Where he sayes▪ That I may be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ; He supposeth justice to be pursuing him, and that nothing he can do for himself, will divert justice its persuit, nor secure him against it; That he is a lost and gone man i… himself; he rests not on the discovery of his lost estate, but seeks to be found in him, not having his own rig…ousness, which is by the Law, but the righteousness whi… is by faith in him: This is the ground that gives peace with God, and should quiet the Conscience: but whe… the sinner hath taken this way, if the Conscience be not yet quieted and calmed, there is something further necessary, as first, the actual renewing of that application to Christ, to get not so much a new pardon, as a new extract of that pardon; which he received in his first fleeing to Christ, that by this renewed application of faith to the blood of sprinkling, he may also quiet the Conscience, so that when the man is fled to Christ, and at peace with God, if he have not peace in his Conscience, he is to cast a renewed look to the promise, and to act faith of new on Christs blood, to hold it furth as it were unto, and to lay it before his Conscience, taking with his sin, yet holding still by it, that he is fled to Christ, and on that ground, making use of the promise, for the renewed pardon of sin through his blood; in this respect, faith is called, (Eph. 6. 16.) A shield; Take unto you (sayeth the Apostle) the shield of faith, whereby ye may quench all the firy darts of the devil; when the challenge is cast in on the Conscience, it (as it were) burns the Believer, even as a firy, or poysoned dart thrown into a mans body, burns and inflames it; But faith goes to the fountain of Christs blood▪ to the covenant and promises, and draws out of these wells of salvation bucketfulls (as it were) to quench it; or when a challenge comes in backed with temptation, it makes use of the promise, and blood of Christ to answer it; and so faith is as a shield or targe to kepp the dart, and beat it back; it makes the Believer say, I cannot satisfie for this sin; but here is a promise of pardon to the man that is fled to Christ, and to the blood of sprinkling, as I am, and makes use of Christ in the promise, for renewed intimation of pardon, or for renewed pardon, as new guilt is contracted, And thus he is keeped quiet, that the challenge wins not in so sar, nor goeth so deep, as to sting him in his vital parts (to speak so) the heart of his peace and quietness is keeped still alive, t…ugh he be in quick and sharp exercise under the challenge. 2ly. Because challenges will not soon nor easily be got removed, nor the Conscience quickly, and without difficulty calmed, as we see in that fore-mentioned instance of David, Psal. 51. There is need therefore of continuing in the fight, and of drawing conclusions from solid and undenyable premises and grounds, to quiet the Conscience, and ward off challenges, so as they may not wound and quite marr peace; as Paul doth, Rom. 8. 1, 2. It might have been said to him, Thou hast been complaining of a body of death, and that with thy flesh thou servest the law of sin, and is not that a grievous challenge against thee? It is true (as if he said) But there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, That is the making use aright of the targe or sheild of faith; But to put the matter out of doubt, he goes on, and subsumes, and draws the conclusion; (for the words are applicative to himself; and spoken with a considerable regard to his own particular exercise, set down, Chap. 7.) I, by faith, am fled to Christ for resuge, and so am in Christ, and therefore there is no condemnation to me: and indeed, when ever challenges come in from sense, and Conscience put through other, or mingled together (as it were) blown upon by temptation, which will pursue the Believer hardly; Its needful to reason from the grounds of faith, to ward off the blow, and to queit the Conscience: And this, though it be a reflex act of faith, which does not justifie, yet it serves to reason the Conscience into peace and calmness; and there is need of faith acting thus reflexly, though not (as I said) to justifie, yet to bring home the peace and comfort of Justification, and renewed extracts, and intimations of pardon. 3ly. Its necessary that Believers quiet themselves positively, by comforting & confirming themselves In the faith of what the promise speaks, and in the hope of what they have to expect: The difference betwixt the former and this is, that in the former we draw home answers from the grounds of faith to ward off the dint, and bitterness of challenges; but that is not enough throwly to calme and settle the soul, therefore the latter is also needful, that the soul positively draw in peace and consolation to it self by believing; Which (as it is, Philip. 4.) is able to guard the heart and mind through Christ Iesus: and we conceive this to be Davids exercise, Psal. 51. Where, by exercising his faith on the promises, and on the blood of the Messiah to be shed, and by wrestling for the intimation of pardon, and peace, he labours not only to get his Conscience calmed, but even filled with consolation; and because the promises are often somewhat wersh and tasteless (to say so) if not seasoned and quickned by Gods voice going along with them, and putting favour and life in them; This is the voice of joy and gladness, which he would so fain, hear: Therefore the Believer insists with God thus, to be-sprinkle his Conscience; and as he looks to the righteousness, and blood of Christ for Justification, so he looks to it for calming of the Conscience; and this is in effect to be beholden to free grace, as for pardon of fin, so for peace and calmness of Conscience; without which any other thing will not do the turn.
As for the 3d. thing proposed to he spoken of▪ viz. The times or seasons, or the cases wherein the Believer may and ought, in a special manner to make use of his liberty and boldness, in drawing near with full assurance of faith: There is no question, but a Believer who hath made use of Christ for pardon of sin, and Justification, may also, and should make use of him and his blood for the sprinkling his Conscience, that he may come to God with boldness and confidence, and there is no case wherein a Believer may not aim at this; but more especially he should, in these cases; As first, when he is fallen into more gross guilt, as David was, psal. 51. 2ly. When that gross guilt, and grievous sinning is waited with great aggravations; as in that Ps. Davids sin is aggravated mightily by him and yet he makes application to Christ over all that guilt, and all these aggravations of his guilt. 3ly. When the Believer hath through his folly relapsed in sin; which is not spoken to give a liberty to sin, God forbid, wo to them that make so cursed an use of such blessed doctrine; but to the commendation of Gods free grace, and of the worth and efficacy of Christs blood, and for the incouragement of lost sinners, that would fain be at Christ for pardon and peace: for as long as the blood of Christ hath efficacy and worth, and as far as the promise extends it self, as long and as far may the Believer reach his faith for coming up to boldness and confidence; although for his humiliation, and keeping humble, he may possibly never win at, not recover his former confidence and boldness; yet looking to the grounds of faith and hope, he may, and ought to study to streach his faith to the attaining of it; 4ly. He may, and should thus endeavour confidently to draw near to God, when challenges are quick and very sharp; yea, when the challenges of Conscience are sharpest and most peircing; though challenges were as so many troups of horses rushing in on him, and the Conscience were like a Lyon rampant, standing with his claws ready to to tear, he may and should (humbly taking with guilt) step to confidently, and make application of the blood of sprinkling; and indeed this is the very time when in a special manner he should do it; as it was in the case of the man-slayer, when he was most hotly pursued by the avenger of blood, that was the very time when he was called to flee, and with greatest speed, to the city of refuge; and the allusion is made to this purpose, Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things (sayes the Apostle) Wherein it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who are fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us; When may they have consolation and strong consolation? even when they are fleeing with the greatest haste to the clay of refuge, its then that the gates of the city are cast widest open to them; when was it that David made his most earnest and humbly-confident addresse to God for the joy of his salvation? even when blood-guiltiness was stareing him in the face, and when his very bones were in a manner broken, and when to his own sense, his grace was very much, if not altogether gone, and when he had (as is were) forefaulted his right to consolation; yet even then he comes foreward, draws near to God, humbly maintains his interest in him, and pleads for former manifestations upon the grounds of grace… 5ly. The Believer may and ought, thus to make humbly-confident application to God throw Christ, when he finds, to the great grief of his soul, an exceeding in-disposition to duty; when his praying, repenting, hearing, &c. goe not with him, as he would fain have them; if there be a real fleeing for refuge, to the hope set before him, he may and should, even in that case step forward, and draw near with humble boldness; hence, David, Psal. 51. Prayes not only for consolation, but for the lively exercise of grace, while he sayes to God, Creat in me a clean heart, renew a right spirit within me, and uphold me with thy free spirit: The sense of sin, and exercise of repentance being real and serious, the exercise of faith is then surely native; and will readily, looking to Jesus, go over all that comes in the way of it: In a word, its then when the humble Believer may draw near with full assurance of faith; even when he hath the real sense of his sin, and danger, and flees unto Jesus Christ for refuge, he is then warranted to run to the city of refuge, and may confidently go on in his errand, viz. To get pardon of sin renewed, consolation restored, and his spiritual frame righted: Its no doubt a foolish conceit, and a prejudicial mistake, for troubled sinners, first, to seek after peace, and then to make application to Christ, or to think that first they must have all the requisits of a good spiritual frame and grace, in the liveliest exercise before they adventure to draw near to God with confidence; I grant these are very desirable, and the souls desire after them very commendable; yet if the Believer resolve never to draw thus near, till he be as he would be, when shall he do it? What if David had stood and stuck at that, Psal. 51? He might have been keeped a-back, and so been unwashen all his dayes; but knowing the way of Gods Grace, and the nature of his gracious covenant made with his people, he steps humbly, yet confidently forward in the exercise of faith out over the sense of guiltinesse, and all the aggravations of it, over relapsing in sin, over in disposition, and over many sharp challenges, (all taken with, and lamented over) and makes all these together as so many earands to God.
The 2d. Use serves to commend the bargan of freegrace, and to hold out the excellency of this blood of sprinkling, which may also mightily encourage the Believer to step forward: In prosecuting whereof, I shall 1. speak a word to the efficacy of this blood of sprinkling. And then, 2ly. a word to the necessity of it, as to us.
For the first, To wit, the excellency and efficacy of it, it may be seen in these four, 1. In the noble and notable effects that it produceth, or that come by it, even all the great things contained in the promises touched on before; such as pardon of sin, grace to subdue it, friendship, and peace with God, fellowship with him, conformity to him, the hope of heaven and glory, the sweet serenity, tranquillity and peace of the Conscience; its as a hiding place from the wind and rain, and a covert from the florm, yea, even as the shadow of a great rock in the midst of a weary land; when the soul sorely beaten with the storm of challenges, and of the apprehensions of wrath comes under the shadow and shelter of this, it presently finds ease and repose; what shall I say? what can I say? words here may be swallowed up, from this proceed all the glorious priviledges of the people of God possessed and expected, in hand and in hope.
2ly. Its excellency and efficacy appears in this; That it hath procured these things, to sinners, to them that had an unclean and polluted Conscience; for who is it, I pray, that may thus draw near to God with full assurance of faith? It is not such as never had an evil Conscience, but such as having an evil Conscience, flee unto this blood, and get it sprinkled therewith; its these who had their Consciences defiled with dead works; and came to it, and got them purged from these dead works. 3ly. The excellency and efficacy of it shines furth in the tenderness of the Person, that applyes the remedy to such a loathsome sickness, and otherwayes insutable desease, or by any other hand but Christs; Having duplicate page duplicate page (sayeth the Apostle) such an high Priest over the house of God, …et us draw near; The Physician is Jesus Christ himself, his blood is the cure; and he also is the applyer of the cure; and O! how very tender, dexterous and simpathizing is he: he even excells in such cures to admiration; He is a high Priest that is holy, harmless, undefiled, separat from sinners, and higher then the heavens; (He is holy and harmless himself, he loves these qualities, and is able and willing to work them in these that come to him) and such an high Priest became us, He is one that hath compassion on the ignorant, and such as are out of the way; who was in all points tempted as we, yet without sin; That he may from his own experience the more kindly and strongly simpathize with his People, and succour them in all their temptations; an high Priest, that is touched with the feeling of their infirmities; The a…king of the least finger, or toe in his mystical body, stounds, up as it were, to the very heart of him who is the head thereof, And Chap. 2. It behoved him to be made like to his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest, &c. 4ly. The excellency and efficacy of it appears in this, even in the exceeding great freeness of his applying this cure; There is no more required, but to come and receive it; to come, however unclean, and be sprinkled with his blood; to confess the debt of guilt, and draw out an extract of the discharge, by virtue of his payment thereof; And if there be any pollution in the Conscience, any challenge, or sore, whatever it be, he furnisheth the remedy and cure freely and frankly.
Now a Word to the 2d thing, viz. The necessity of this blood of sprinkling, If it be so, as we have said, if it be so virtuous and efficacious, is there not here an encouragement for the guilty, to flee to this blood? and is there not a necessity to make use of it, a very pressing, and vehemently urging necessity? for as it was not possible for the man slayer to stand with safety before the avenger of blood out of the city of refuge; so no more can the guilty sinner stand before his own Conscience▪ and far less before the Tribunal of God, Who is greater then the conscience, till this blood be fled unto, and till he get his Conscience sprinkled with it: And therefore, seeing ye have Consciences, and guilty Consciences, many sins on your score, and though the Conscience now sleep, it will most certainly once awake, and turn a hot and hard pursuer far beyond what ever any avenger of blood was, and the longer that it sleep, it will pursue the harder; and seing Christ Jesus is as a city of refuge, to whom ye may now flee and be sase; Consider O! consider these words of the Apostle of the Gentiles, Acts 13. 38, 39. Which we, in the name of the Lord, say over again to you, Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you forgivenaess of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses; And it is the great end and design of the Gospel, …o proclaim the mercat of grace, and to make this offer unto you sinners freely; seing I say, all this is, O! takewith and be humbled under the sense of your guilt, from which ye cannot be pessibly delivered any other way, and come forward and make use of it: And be-think your selves seriously, I beseech you, if this day of salvation be sitten, and if this offer of grace be despised; your Conscience may and will certainly waken upon you, yea warr upon you most terribly, and ye will never get it quieted; but if ye will now in time imbrace, and make use of the off…r; We dare confidently say, to the commendation of Gods grace, and of the efficacy of this precious blood of Iesus Christ, that the sinner can never lay before Christ that sin, with what ever aggravations of it, nor the disease, how filthy and loathsome soever it be, but the blood of Christ applyed by faith can aboundantly satisfie Gods Justifie for it, and pacify and purge the Conscience from the guilt and defilement of it; And if God be pacified, the Conscience (being his deputy) dar no more challenge and pursue to death no more then the avenger of blood could the Manslayer, when once got within the city of refuge; or the destroying angel, who smote all the first-born of Egypt could, or did destroy the Israelits, whose houses were be-sprinkled with the blood of the passe-over Lamb.
The 3d Use is, For strong consolation to Believers in Christ, And it is threefold, 1. Under the rise of a challenge, when the Conscience pursues; because there is here a city of refuge to run unto, A Mediator for sinners, A shield, or targe to keep off such a Da…, and to quench or ward off the deadly wound of it: Let us make the supposition (and blest eternaly be God, through Jesus Christ, its but a supposition) What if this had not been? How dreadful would the very apprehension of a challenge, let be of the vindictive wrath of God have been? 2dly. To the sinner that flees to this city, there is strong consolation in this respect, that he shall be made welcome; and therefore the Believer needs not skar to make use of Christ, nor to come to this blood of sprinkling; for he waits for imployment, and its the more to the praise of his exquisit skill, the moe be cleansed and cured by him through the vertue thereof; ye may therefore come, and not only so, but, come with full assurance of faith of attaining whatever ye want, and would have. Come therefore Believers boldly to the throne of grace, that …e may find mercy, and obtain grace to help in time of need, as on this ground the Apostle exhorts, Heb. 4. 3ly. These that have fled to this City of refuge, may quiet themselves; they are at peace with God, and with their own Conscience, their peace is as sure as Gods Covenant that cannot be annulled, nor altered, is, And as Christs purchase is of worth and efficacy; if the covenant of grace be firm and sure, and if this blood of sprinkling be of value and efficacy, they have certainly solid grounds of peace and consolation: and therefore we exhort Believers in Christ on all occasions to flee to this city, to renew your applications by faith to Jesus Christ, and after every defilement to be-sprinkle your Consciences with this blood; and then comfort your selves in it, and bless God, who allows such large and strong consolation on you, and the Mediator, who hath purchased it for you, by this his own most precious blood.
But some tender, and exercised Soul will, belike here, Object, and say; Is it not presumption for me, to comfort my self under challenges for sin? I answer, no, Thou taking with the challenge, and being humbled for the sin that is the ground of it, and betaking thy self to this blood of sprinkling, for pardon and purging; because the Apostle commands thee to comfort thy self, and sure he commands none to presume; To whom, I pray is it that he speaks here? Is it not to them that have an evil conscience, at least in part? and what sayes he to them? Let us draw near in full assurance of faith, and on what ground, Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: When the Conscience through guilt challengeth▪ we are called to flee to this blood, and having sprinkled it there with, we have warrand, to draw near, and it is not presumption to do so; nay resting on Christ, and comforting our selves in him, under challenges taken with, argues strong faith, wherein he hath great complacency, and whereby he is much glorified; for presumption will never stand before an evil Conscience, nor credit Christ, when Conscience sharply challengeth: So that if ye come by this new and living way, it is not presumption to lean to Christ; but that is presumption to lean to any other thing; nay the more humble boldness and confidence there be under challenges, it argues (as I just now said) the more and the stronger faith; because its the more sickerly founded on the covenant of God, and on the blood of Christ; and it gives God most glory, when the difficulty is greatest: It is no great practique to calm the Conscience, when there is no storm, but then indeed it is so, when there are many waves and billows of challenges and discouragements, rising and swelling high in the way, to go over all these, and to grip hard to this rope cast out by him, and confidently, though humbly, and in fear to make use of this remedy, which he hath graciously proposed: It will never be accounted presumption by him, for serious souls to take to themselves Gods allowance on them, which is strong consolation to them who are hotly pursued, and flie to this city of refuge; but it may very readily be accounted presumption to cast at his allowance; he knows well (who hath the tongue of the learned) when to give a word of consolation, and to whom; and we are not to be wi…er then he.
The 4th Use is for advertisement, and warning to others, who are not Believers, but ly still in unbelief, and slight our blessed Lord Jesus; O! what a dreadful disadvantage, and premunire (to speak so) will ye fall under? your condition is fearful beyond what words can express, or thoughts fully comprehend; Though your Conscience sleep now, It will up upon you, and the longer it sleep, it will (to speak so) waken the hungrier, and g…aw the sore…: This, O! this, is your great prejudice, ye make your selves obnoxious to the fearce wrath of the Almighty God, and to the biteing challenges and tormenting accusatsons of your own evil Conscience; which will be more terrible to you then if hills and mountains did fall on you, the one will be called and cryed for as a favour in comparison of the other; it will in that day appear, that an evil Conscience was, and is a dreadfully evil thing; and ye will have this aggravation of your guilt, even the dispising of the Redeemer, and of the dear price of his precious blood paved for the Ransome of Sinners; of the Physician that offered perfectly at his own cost to cure you; and of the Cautioner that offered freely and frankly to pay your debt; …nd this will wait upon you, to make the prickings, and peircings the woundings and stoundings, the ga… lings and gnawin…s of the Conscience mo…e deep and into…lerable: Therefore let …e in the name of the Lord, (who is in earnest with you, and we desire according to our measure to be in earnest with you) warn you to flee from the wrath to come; O! know that ye have Consciences, and that they (as I said before) will once awake; and when they shall begin to be rouzed, O! but they will challenge, and accuse in a dreadful manner; lay your account to meet with such un answerable challenges, and confounding accusations; and if there be no other ground whereon ye can with safety bottom the eternal salvation of your immortal Souls, but the righteousness of Christ; If nothing can possibly purge▪ and pacify, cleanse and calme the Conscience, but coming to, and washing at this fountain of the blood of Christ; O! come in time; if ye cannot wash your selves, put him to it, as David doth, Psal. 51. when he cryes, wash me, cleanse me, purge me, wash me throughly from mine iniquities. It will be no excuse, I assure you, it will be no plea, nor apologie for you in the great day, to alleadge, that ye could not do it; since he offered himself as a fountain to wash at, and to wash you all in particular that hear me this day, and is doing so very seriously just now, if you will imploy, and put him to it: Consider that sad word, Ier. 13. 27. Wo unthee, O Ierusalem wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be? it is not, canst thou not make thy self clean? but wilt thou not be made clean? To wit, by me, who am able to do it, and offer to do it freely, if thou beest but honestly willing; This will be the loud and terrible voice wherewith God and the Conscience will in that day cry to many a man and woman that lived under the Gospel, and had this offer, Wo to thee, thou wouldest not be made clean; Thou wouldest not make use of the blood of Christ of this blood of sprinkling, when it was in thine offer; Thou wouldest not come to him that thou mightest have life; Thou wouldst not-take him for a Physician to hea… thee, but chose rather to ly still wallowing in thy filthiess, and to rot away and die in thy sores and wounds, then to come to him to be cleansed, and cured by him, though he offered to do both very freely: amongst all the w…es that will be denounced then, and executed against sinners, those against professing Christians, who lived under this Gospel, and refused to come to Jesus Christ for Life, and neglected so great a Salvation, will be the loudest and most terrible; the woes of Chora…in, and Bethsaida, and of Capernaum will be more in…ollerable in the day of judgement, then those of Tyre and Sidon; yea, the… those of Sodom and Gommorrah; How yet more terrible and intollerable, suppose ye will be the wo and judgement of them that live now under the clear and bright Sun-shine of Gospel-light? Let me therefore once more earnestly beseech and obtest you in the Name of the Lord, by the love you profess to bear to your own immortal Souls, to take with your sin, and to flee, and speedily to flee to this city of refuge, set open before you; least the avenger of blood, the great avenger of this despised and trampled on blood of the covenant, this blood of sprinkling, over-take you; if you seek not to draw near to God, by this new and living way; but live and die under your defilement, and at distance from him; Wo upon wo, wo upon wo, will eternally take hold of you.
FINIS.
End of the text · James Durham, Heaven Upon Earth (1685)