Heaven Upon Earth, Sermons · Sermons on Hebrews 9 and 10
SERMON I.
Heb. 9. v. 13. 14. For if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
IT is the great business of Christians to walk so, as they may be in good terms with their Conscience, that from no untenderness in their way, there may be any just ground of challenge, at least none such as may wound the Conscience, and break or marr the peace and tranquillity of it, before God, or disturb, or interupt that sweet serenity, and distinct calmness of a spiritual frame of soul, that he allowes on believers in him, who are exercising themselves to have alwayes a good Conscience: But alace! its not all professors of Religion; Its not all gracious Christians that win at this; who (I mean serious Christians) partly throw the unmortified rem…nder of corruption still dwelling in them, and partly through their own unwatchfulness, fall often into such sins as defile the Conscience, and obstruct the clear light, and serene tranquillity thereof, when in any measure attained: and therefore it is no less necessary to know how a defiled Conscience may be purged, and how we may recover losed calmness and peace, then it is to know how a good Conscience may be win at; for indeed if all our peace, and tranquillity of Conscience depended on our own holy walk only; it would be but a heartless and comfortless work to speak of a good and calm Conscience on that ground; but this is the great, the very great advantage that we have by the Gospel of Grace; which, as it shews the way how to prevent a quarrel from▪ and so a wound unto the Conscience; so it shews the way how a quarrel and controversie drawn on, may be removed; and this is the thing that now we would speak a little to, from these words; wherein the Apostles scope is, to hold out to the Iewes the weakness of their ceremonial worship, sacrifices and washings; and the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice to do their business; and to bring them from resting on that ceremonial worship, to rest upon Jesus Christ alone; and one of the arguments that he makes use of for this end is, That no legal or ceremonial worship, or service, could make him that did the service perfyt, as pertaining to the conscience, as he sayes, v. 9. None of these things could give a man peace before God, and his own Conscience; but that on the contrary the blood of Iesus Christ, is able to purge the conscience from dead works; And to bring a man that is in a state of peace and freindship with God, after he hath sinned, and thereby defiled and wounded his Conscience, back to that same peace and calmness that he had before he sinned, and make him in some respect as quiet and calm, as i… he had not sinned: And therefore the blood of Christ must be infi…ly preferable to all these ceremonial sacrifices, pu…gings, and washings; which probably they inclined to joyn with him.
In the words read, the Apostle illustra…s, and confirms the efficacy of Christs blood, by comparing it with the ceremonies of the Law, obviating an Objection, which is this; The ceremonies of the Law had a good use, and why then will ye cry them down? He Answers, they had an use as they respected Christs Sacrifice, that was in due time to be actually offered, and as they … ed it; and also as to a ceremonial cleansing, or holiness; but they could not, as pertaining to the Consci…nce make a man perfy…; And (sayeth he) if these ceremonies had an efficacy, as to the outward man, and making ceremonially and externally clean or holy; how much more shall the blood of Christ be efficacious to the cleansing of the Soul, and inner man? If the ceremonies of the Law had an efficacy toward the admitting of a man to external ordinances; how much more shall the blood of Christ have an efficacy to purge the Conscience from dead works, and to take away the sting and guilt, and the defilement also of sin, and to make it quiet, and so to capacitat the man to be ad…tted to real fellowship with him in his ordinances? That the comparison may be the more clear, he uses …ere a threefold distinction 1. Of a twofold uncleanness▪ one of the flesh▪ or outward man; another of a mans S…ate, and Conscience before God; The first related to the mans practice, and made him that was ceremonially unclean, to be thurst without the camp, and to continue so, till he was legally clean…ed; The second marred the mans peace before God. The 2d. distinction is▪ of a twofold Court▪ wherein this uncleanness is charged upon the man, The one is a Court wherein the mans flesh i… (as it were) judged, and that is by men, according to his external prosession; the other is a Court wherein his spiritual … is judged, and that is his Conscience: In the first Court, if the moral Law charged him not with guilt, it was not asked, whether his Conscience was guilty or not, but he was on his outward cleansing, admitted to Church priviledges; but the second Court, which is called the Court of conscience; looks not a… things as they appear before men, but as they are before God; and therefore will challenge when men do not challenge. The 3d. distinction is, of a twofold Sanctification, The first is, that of the flesh, spoken of v. 13. And that is, when a man is made externally clean, or holy, whereby he is admitted to the congregagation; The other is that which is inward, which admits not only to external Church-fellowship, but to real internal-fellowship with God, and to peace and calmness of Conscience: Now for quieting the Conscience, and for giving a man peace, he tells them, that though these external ceremonies admitted him to the congregation, yet they did not purify his Conscience; but that notwithstanding of all these, the quarrel was not taken away before God; and so they could not be the ground of inward peace, nor bring it in to the mans soul and Conscience; but that its the blood of Christ which only doth that; and therefore his sacrifice is more excellent then all these ceremonial Sacrifices, sprinklings and washings; for it admits a man to peace with God and gives him quietness in his own Conscience.
To leave the comparison then; We have, in the latter part of these words (which we intend to insist on) a notable effect, and the great efficacy of Christs blood, in purging of the Conscience, holden forth in these particulars, 1. It is implyed, That the state of a mans Conscience by nature is this, viz. It is polluted and defiled by dead works. 2. That the great mean whereby the Conscience is purged and made clean; is, the blood of Christ. 3ly. The end wherefore the Consciences of men are made clean, is, that they they may serve the living God. 4. The proof and demonstration of the efficacy of this blood (in these words of the former part of the verse, The blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God;) Is taken from the excellency of the sacrifice of the preist, and of the altar, whereby the sacrifice was sanctified. We shall in passing, Observe a few things that may make way …or clearing of the words, and for that which we chiefly intend to speak to from them; And, 1. Observe, That the state of mens Consciences by nature is, That they are polluted by dead works, which are such works as are to be repented of, as the Apostle sayes of them, Heb. 6. 1. Whereby he plainly insinuats, that sins are called dea… works, for three reasons, 1. Because of a dead principle they proceed from, they flow from man that is dead by nature, as to any spiritual life, dead in sins and trespusses; and even the sins of Believers themselves are such, as proceeding from them, in so far as they are not quickned and renewed. 2ly. Because of their demerit, and that which they deserve, which is eternal death; final continuance wherein, doth at last most certainly bring on eternal death. 3ly. Because, though a natural mans performances were never so specious and splendid, yet before God, they are but dead, like a carcase that wants life: So that though the greatest heap of prayers, and of other duties, should be found with a meerly natural man, they are but like to these Apples, which (as its storied) grow at, or about the lake of Sodom, Which appear beautiful to the eye, but so soon as they are touched with the hand, they presently fall into ashes; so the very best of natural mens works, how shineing soever, are but dead works before God; Therefore (by the way) ye would know, that there is a great difference betwixt dead works and living works; And that there are many things that present fair & are pleasant to look upon, which yet defile the Conscience; ah! How many men and women are there, even living in the bosom of the visible Church, who are in as great danger from, and by that, which se…ms at first blush to be somewhat, as by that which is re…ly and obviously nothing; all such works are but empty shews counterfi…s, and very cheats, they have no Soul … L…fe in them, being … destitute of any … principle, or end however the world of pro… of Re…igion do to their own ruine, place all their Religion in them.
If we consider the influencing effect of these dead works on the Conscience, We find it here to be, that they pollute and defile it, as a clear Spring is mudded and defiled by the soul feet of Beasts going thorow it, even so is this D…vine thing, the Conscience defiled by sinful … in it, which make it to become as it were a cage for every unclean and ha…eful Bird, or rather as a hold of every …oul Spirit; these Lusts as so many …oul Spirits, swarming in it, pollute and defile it, whereby it becomes q…ite another thing: Whence we may draw these two Observations; The 1. Whereof is, That dead works, or sins continued in, do pollu…e and defile a man… Conscience; They make (as I just now said) a clean and … Conscience to become polluted and filthy, so that ye… ever saw a face more full of foul spots, more deformed by them, then the Conscience is polluted by these dead works, defi…ing sins; Therefore is this word to purge the Conscience, used there; which is rendred to cleans; Ephes. 5 26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse his C…urch; and as simpollu…es the man in all his powers and f…culties, so proportionably it polluts him in his Conscience; which is deeply polluted before it be purged, and cleansed by the blood of Christ: For clearing of it, Consider that there is a threefold pollution that follow… … in the Conscience; 1. In respect of a mans State … … before God; it mak…s him legally unclean; as we use to say of a Murderer, or a Thief, or any … …, when found guilty by an Assize, that such a person is filed; so a man by committing of sin is … gu…lty obnoxious to punishment, Iyable to wrath, even the eternal Wrath of God, because of it; This is a legal Pollution or defilement. 2. In respect of a mans present peace and tranquillity of Consc…ence; for though he be in a justified and clean state, and hath (it may be) win at clearness of his interest in God, and to peace and tranquillity in his Conscience, so that his peace hath run as a clear, smooth and still River, or Stream; the letting in of sin is like to the driving of a herd of Cattel thorow a clear running Stream, whereby it is mudded and troubled; so that in stead of Peace, there come in disquieting Challenges; and in stead of clearness, much confusion; as we may see in the sad instances of several of Gods Saints, as particularly in David, after his fall; who therefore Psal. 51. prayes to be washen from this filthiness, both from the guilt and from the pollution of sin; and for peace, That God would restore to him the joy of his Salvation. 3. In respect of a sinful propension and inclination to more sin, which follows upon every sin; so that by frequent falling into sin, the very nature as it were of Conscience is altered, that of a loather of sin, it becomes a lover of it, and licks it up as a Dog doth his Vomit, and with the Sow that was washen, returns to wallowing in the mire, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Pet. 2. ult. When a person is seemingly washen, and returns to the same sins that he was given to before, his Conscience becomes so filthy, that it can digest the filthiest, and most loathsom sins, it can swallow them down, and glut them over, (to speak so) and never challenge nor quarrel for them; In this sense the Apostle says, Tit. 1. 15. To the pure all things are pure, but to these that are defiled, and unbelieving, there is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is defi…ed; The man that follows a course of sin, his Mind and Conscience is defiled, not only in respect of contracted guilt, and in respect of the want of peace and comfort; But also in respect of utter indisposition for duty, and of a sinful inclination to more sin; so that it becomes hardned and cauteriz…d: There is such a contagion in sin, that it defiles and pollutes the Conscience all these wayes, that whereas it was before pure, It becomes now like a person that hath the Botch, and many Boils and putrifying Sores running in him: Only we would distinguish here betwixt this pollution of Conscience, as it is total in an unrenewed man, and as it is partial in a Believer, a Believer may be defiled in Conscience, when he is offended and stumbled, so as to be tempted by the example of others to do some thing, wherein he is not clear, as some were, 1 Cor. 8. verse 7, and 10. His Conscience is thereby mudded, jumbled and troubled, and his peace marred, yet he hath not a total and universal defilement of Conscience; And therefore the effects of that uncleanness, pollution and defilement follow not totally and universally oh him.
I shall only say for Use of this: 1. O! that ye knew what an abominable thing sin is, and how dreadfully dangerous it is, thereby to defile and pollute the Conscience, which is the most noble thing in you; sin would sure be more abhorred and fled from: Its really a wonder that men should love dead Works so well, when there is no Botch nor Plague so infectious and contagious, so hurtful and destructive to the Bodies, as it is to the Souls of men. 2 This we may also see, that its no marvel that men who are given to sin, be hard to be wakned and reclaimed; for continuance in sin makes the Conscience full of holes as it were, that all slips and falls thorow it; or (as the Apostle speaks) it makes the Conscience to become cauterized, fenseless, and feelingless▪ as the flesh is, that a Chirurgeon designs to consume away; so I say, continuance in sin, deadens and eats out the very life and feeling of the Conscience; though it will be found to be a Conscience still, and a Conscience that will speak, and speak aloud one day, albeit in Gods righteous Judgement, it be silent now. 3. We may also see here the reason why many persons are so very filthy, that sin becomes a delight to them, so that the sin that others could not sleep with, they cannot sleep till they get it committed; because thorow a custom of, and continuance in sinning, their mind and Conscience is defiled▪
2ly. Observe. That a man before he be purged by Christs Blood, hath his Conscience wholly defiled; Not only in part (as we said of the Believer) but wholly; before he be in Christ, and be purged by his Blood, he is like that wretched Infant described, Ezek. 16. 5. which description sets forth to the life, what these people were before God entered in Covenant with them, cast out in the open field, to the loathing of their persons, unsalted, and unswadled, with their navils uncut, wallowing in their own blood, and having no eye to pity them; And thus are all men and women, without exception▪ before they be in Covenant with God; they are wholly in a state of irreconciliation and enmity with God; whose Law does not only condemn this and that work, or deed of theirs, but all of them as but dead works; Their very state and person is condemned; their peace, if they have any, is no solid peace, none of Gods peace, for there is no peace, nor ground of peace to the wicked, sayes my God, Isai. 57. Their inclination is wholly depraved and corrupted; all their Thoughts and Imaginations are evil, only evil, and continually evil, as it is Gen. 6. 5. and as that often cited emphatick word is, Tit. 1▪ 15. To him that is defiled and unbelieving there is nothing pure: Every practice of his, & the use of every thing is to him impure, and his very mind and conscience is totally defiled. And this will be yet more clear, if we consider; 1. The case that the man is in, who is not in Christ; he is without God, without hope, under his curse, and the condemnatory sentence of his Law; and can a man possibly have a clear Conscience that is under Gods curse, and hath the Sentence of his Law, standing over his head unrepealed? Therefore he is said Iohn 3. to be condemned already, and to have the wrath of God abiding on him. 2. If we consider that a man in this condition is under the dominion of sin, he is a captive of it, and of the Devil at his will, as it is 2 Tim▪ 2. 26, So that there is scarce any motion, or temptation to sin, but he hearkens to it, and complys with it; his heart is open to swarms of lusts, and as a Cage to unclean and foul Spirits, Legions of Devils in a manner haunt him: Now if such a man can have a clear Conscience, ye may easily judge; and yet such is the state and condition of every man by nature; and therefore when Christ speaks of the Renovation of a man, he sometimes calls it the casting out of the Devil, importing thereby, that every man in nature is a common receptacle as it were to Devils.
The 1. Use of this serves to teach us, how we ought on the one hand to loath the state of Nature, and how on the other hand we ought to love and long after a state of faith in Christ Jesus, by whom only our natural state can be changed: Is it not a wonder, that so many rational men and women can live and ly still in their Natural state without minding or looking after a change? Considering that this stands recorded of, and against them, That their very mind and conscience is defiled, and that with dead works; and that all who are not in Christ are so defiled, vile and abominable, that the most stinking dunghill is not so loathsom, as the Consciences of such persons are; O! What heaps and dunghils of Lusts, what pudles and myres, what kennels and sinks of pollution, and noisome, and poisonable filthiness are there? What noisom and poisonable sins are drunk down with pleasure as so much sweet Wine? all which are kept in retentis by the Conscience, never one of them is forgotten, though for the time, the Conscience by its silence, is supposed to have forgotten them; yet it will set them all in order, marshal them all (as it were) in rank and file against the persons who shall be found out of Christ, in a most formidable manner; it will not suffer one sin, nor so much as one aggravating circumstance of any sin to be forgot. It will bring forth all, and charge them home furiously and irresistably; This in Gods holy Justice will be the use of Conscience to all such persons; Its not like a Conduit or Pipe, that takes in at the one end, and lets out at the other, but like a standing sink, that still retains all that comes into it; O! then what a foul and filthy bag (to speak …o) is the Conscience of many a man and woman? So that no Botch. Bovl, or Imposthume, hath such vile▪ filthy and abominable matter in it, as it hath▪ O! what a noisom and vi…ely stinking smell will that putrid matter send forth, when God pricks it? This should make you all to loath living in your natural state, and to long without ling…ing to be out of it: Its like that many take it ill …o have such things said or thought of them, but I assure you all that are out of Christ, whether ye have a more full or empty purse about you, you have this filthy bag full of sin within you; and while ye securely heap sins upon sins, ye are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and of the righteous judgement of God.
The 2 Use serves to let us see, what a poor and sory ground the most part have for their peace of Conscience; we may in truth wonder how it comes to pass, that many of you can have any peace, having such a puddle of filthiness within you; If it be true that your mind and Conscience is defiled (which are the best things ye have); and one day will clearly and convincingly make discovery of the truth of it; O! how much hypocrisie and presumption will be found to be among you, in stead of true and solid peace? with which ye have nothing to do, so long as these Whoredoms and Witch-crafts (to say so) of filthy sins, are with you unpurged away by the blood of Christ.
The 3. Use serves to demonstrat, and clearly to hold forth the absolute necessity of Jesus Christ, and the transcendent worth and matchless excellency that is in him, that even when a man is thus defiled and polluted by sins these dead works▪ there is access by his blood, to get the Conscience purged; and this is the thing that we would mainly point at from these words (and which we intend, God willing, afterward more largely to insist in) not only the necessity of coming to Christ; but of knowing certainly that ye are got out of black Nature into him, and have gotten your Consciences purged by his Blood: Think ye it a small or little concerning matter; to be lying in a …est house, where thousands dy at your right and left hand, and not to know if ye be cleansed? To have the Plague in your bosom, and not to know whether ye be cured of it or o… not? and yet such is the state and condition of all of you, while ye are in corrupt Nature: And if ye would (as ye are mightily concerned) have some Evidences whereby ye may be helped to know if ye be as yet purged from this total pollution; there are some things that may be gathered from this Verse to that purpose: And 1. Did ye ever know and acknowledge your Conscience to be defiled? It can hardly be exexpected that a man having such a Botch, and Plague running on him, can think seriously of, let be▪ seriously seek after washing, before he know that he is thus defiled, and thereby in such a dep…orable state: I speak not now of what gracious change may be wrought in some persons more early, and in their younger years, nor how secretly and little discer…ibly the work of Conversion may be wrought in some that are come to age; But I speak of Gods more ordinary way of dealing, and reclaiming and converting of sinners▪ When Paul speaks of himself, Rom. 7. He tels us that He was alive once without the law, he was a clean man as he thought, and in his own eyes; before the Lord discovered Sin, and wakened a Challenge for it in his Conscience; But when the Commandment came (sayeth he) sin revived and I died: Now can we think with any shadow of reason, that after God called him effectually by his Grace, that he had more of a … nature in him than he had before? sure no; but the body of death, the corruption of his nature, was now clearly discovered to him, and became loathsom, Challenges came to be quick and sharply piercing, and his Conscience began to be touched with the lively sense of its own Defilement; he was before alive, or rather seemed to himself to be so; but now he became a dead man in his own esteem, as he was most really before the gracious change▪ was wrought; and sin to his sense revived, and he as to any account of his own righteousness, …: O! si…s, do ye understand this Doctrine? We are afraid that many of you do not understand it, at least in your own experience; and for as abominable as corrupt nature and sin is, that yet ye are …leeping securely in it, and are often returning with the Dog to lick up that …ile v… mit: Its a very shrewd and evil token of a defiled and unclean Conscience, where there was never any Challenge for, nor any the lest kindly sense of its defilement and pollution. 2. Was the Conscience ever wa…hen with the Blood of Christ? for alwise till that be, it is defiled and polluted; Did ye ever find your Conscience … polluted, that ye could not get lived with it, … ye was made to run to the fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanness? spoke of Z…ch. 13. 1. … suppose several of you have had now and then your▪ own Challenges for sin, but what course … ye to …? did ye strive to close and stop the mouth of your Conscience by betaking your selves to passe▪ …ime, and to good company (as ye use to call it) looking on such exercise (as too many do) as a fit of Melancholy? or did … go …ther to betake your selves, for silencing your Conscience to Prayer and Reading (good in themselves) only▪ without going to the Blood of Christ? That will not …e an evidence of a clean and purged Conscience, but there must be a bringing of i… to the Fountain, to Jesus Christ to be cleansed and calmed; Thus it was with Paul Rom. 7. who when he saw his pollution, even in but a small remander of it, and was challenged for it, Rom. 7. C…yes O wretched man that I am … ▪ who shall deliven … … the body of this death? and subjoyns, I thank God … Iesus Christ our Lord; He can quiet himself no where▪ … nothing but in Christ; It is a good token when persons can admit the thought of no other way of cleansing and … ing their Consciences, but by bringing them to Christ and his Blood, especially when the sense of …, and the …aith of the efficacy of his Blood hath brought▪ … … ▪ bring them to him as the Fountain. 3. We would ask you if the effect of a clean Conscience has followed your betaking of your selves to Christ? and that is a clean Life and honest Walk and Conversation; for a purged Conscience will have a purged and honest Walk following on it; and if men have once gotten a cleansed and purged Conscience, they will be very cheary of it, and loath to pollute it again; and their great work will be to live so as they may not pollute it: But …h! how few, how lamentably few have attained to this effect? There are many purgings of Conscience, which are like the sweepings and garnishings of that house, (spoken of in the Gospel) that made it ready for the Devil to re-enter into with seven spirits worse than himself; many after Light and transient touches of Challenges, become more hardned and presumptuous, more secure and carnal than they were before; and their Conscience digests (as it were) greater sins, better and more easily than it had wont to do; and it fares with them according to that Proverb, 2 Pet. 2. …lt. (often cited) The Dog is returned to his vomit, and the Sow that was washed▪ to wallowing in the mire; Their corrupt and filthy Nature being still to the …ore; they fall a licking up that which formerly they seemed to have vomited out, and return to their former louse carriage. 4. What discord and war is there with any remainder (… it be yet come to a remainder) of corruption and pollution that is b…hind? What resenting and loathing is there of it? If the Conscience be purged, and endeavoured to be keeped pure, new defilements will be very unwelcome▪ Guests, and exceedingly troublesome to your peace; The bond womans Son (to say so) must not abide with the free-womans in the house, but must be cast out, and will be endeavoured to be cast out: While a man is in black Nature▪ sin is at home, and any motion to sin is entertained, and even in a manner invited and wowed; but when a man comes to be renewed in his sta…e, and Grace gets the dominion, his great care and work is, to get the remainder of corruption cast out; and if any thing of it come back, or stay still within, that he cannot get cast out, he loaths it, and cannot bear with it, nor dwell satisfiedly in the house beside it: We will not say, but many filthy things may be in a pure Conscience, but it does not comport wel with them, nor digest them; They are as lukewarmwater to a mans Stomach, that he cannot keep, but must needs vomit up again, and he is sick till he do so. 5. Its a good token of a pure Conscience, when the man cannot endure to be at a distance from Christ, but hath many errands to him; would fain be near him; yea, would fain abide constantly with him, as well as in him by Faith, when he would ly beside him as beside the Fountain, to be bleatched there (so to speak) because he k…ws that no sooner wil he go from him, but his Conscience will be defiled; and he loves so well to be clean, and loves Christ so well that makes him clean, that he likes well to be always near him: This is a good token of a person that hath a pure Conscience; Because as it betokens a great loathing of filthiness, so it betokens a great respect to Christ on this account, as to the maker and keeper of the Conscience clean; and on the contrary, its a very evil token when persons will pretend to a pure Conscience, when yet they will not go to the Fountain for a very long time, if at all; and when they go (if we may speak so) they scarce give their Conscience a dip, or a little sprinkling or syning (as we use to speak) but they are away and gone again; But a serious, tender and purged Soul, will no sooner perceive a …oul stain or spot, but it repairs quickly to the Fountain of Christs Blood to get it washed out; And O! but its precious to him, and he never thinks himself to be right and well, but when he is there and near to him; Its true he cannot alwayes be in Prayer, or in other Duties of Worship; yet he endeavours to be in the habitual exercise of Faith, corresponding with him for attaining and keeping a clean and undefiled Conscience.
SERMON II.
HEB. 9. v. 14. and 10 v. 22. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Chap. 10. v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
IF we knew what sort of Consciences we naturally have, and were suitably sensible of the evil state of them, it would be to us as good News from a far Countrey, to hear how they may be gotten purged and made good; and how little soever men think of this now, and how ever easie they fancy it to be to get their Consciences solidly quieted and calmed, there is a day coming, when sleeping and secure Consciences will be awakned, and when it will be found more easie to endure the greatest toil, and the most exquisit torment on earth, then to wrestle with, and to be closely pursued, and constantly haunted by the terrours of an evil and awakned Conscience, which will roar against men, as a lyon, and tear as it were the very caul of their heart; Then, O! then they who would never be perswaded before, to believe what an evil and defiled Conscience is, nor what the benefit and advantage of peace with God, and in the Conscience is, shall be made to their eternal prejudice to know the truth of both.
In both these places now read in your hearing, the Apostles scope is, to commend the transcendent worth, and matchless excellency of Jesus Christ, and the incomparable efficacy of his most precious blood, from this noble, notable, and non-such effect of it, viz. That when nothing else can lay, or allay the storm, and tempest of an evil Conscience, nor purge it, from these defiling dead works, this blood can do it to purpose, and effectually, when applyed by Faith; when no legal Sacrifice, nor washings, that sanctified only to the purifying of the flesh, could reach, perfyting the comer thereto, as pertaining to the conscience, (as its said, Chap. 9. v. 9.) Neither could deliver him from an evil Conscience, and give him confidence, and boldness in drawing neer to God over the belly of many quarrels, and grounds of challenge, the blood of Christ can; as it is, Chap. 10. v. 22.
We left the other day at speaking somewhat to that natural pollution, that throughly affects the hearts and Consciences of all men, before they be by the blood of Christ purged; and the Apostles taking such pains to hold out this, shews plainly, that it is a matter of greatest concernment to Christians, to know the way how to get their Consciences purged from that deep defilement of sin wherewith they are polluted; for is it not his manner to insist in any thing that is not of concernment to the people of God, who will readily from the sad and doleful experience of their own pollution, be induced to think that this truth is such, and ought to be esteemed so by them.
2ly. Observe, That there is nothing that Christians should more aim at, and endeavour more to be in the practice of, then to be following that way whereby they may get their Consciences purged, and more particularly these who have had their Consciences again defiled, after that they were once purged; no main infected with the Borch or plague hath more need of cleansing from it, then the man whose Conscience is infected, and defiled with the dead works of sin, needs to have it purged from them by the blood of Christ.
We shall but very briefly (to make way for that which we would mainly be at) hint at two or three Observations from both these verses now read, put together; first then▪ Observe, from Chap. 10. v. 22. That a Conscience not purged by the blood of Christ, is a very evil thing: which we will find to be a very sad truth, if we consider the unpurged Conscience, either as its awakned or as its not awakned, but asleep, which is ill both ways; Its ill, if it be awakned, and the terrours of God be fresh upon it; who can express, or adequatly conceive the terribleness of such a case? The spirit of a man may sustain his infirmity, and wrestle through many crosses, but a wounded, a wrath-wounded spirit, or an ill Conscience, rouzed by the terrours of the Almighty God, who can bear? This hath made some, with Iudas the trai tour, rather to choise death▪ a violent death inflicted by their own wretched hands on themselves, then life; whereby they have desperatly run themselves under the wrath of God to the full, O▪ poor silly miserable shift, and evasion, to flee from some smaller fore-parties (as it were) of the wrath of God on earth, into the very strength, and main battel of it eternally in hell, this is infinitely worse then to leap out of the water into the fire; Nay some of the most eminent Saints, by the falling but of some hot scalding drops of Gods fatherly wrath and displeasure have been brought neer the length of wishing rather for strangling (though mercifully keeped from it, and made to abhorre it) then life; As it was with non such holy Iob, who looked on death, a violent death as an easie matter, be what it was to be under the sense of wrath, and to be set up as the mark for Gods arrows to be shot at, the venome whereof, to his apprehension, drunk up his Spirits; though all the while he was kept up in the faith of his interest in God, and of his love to him▪ To his purpose, Human heavily complains, Psal. 88. I am afflicted, and ready to die from my youth up, while I suffer thy terrours, I am distracted; If it be sometimes done thus in the green trees, even the greenest, what shall be done in the dry? Now the Conscience is in a special manner the receptacle of all the terrors of God; it must therefore certainly be a very ill thing to have an awakned ill Conscience: If an ill and unpurged Conscience be silent and a sleep, its in some respect worse, for it hath this black and dreadful awakning abiding it; and the longer it sleep and keep silence, the the wakning will be the more terrible, and its cryes the lowder; Its all the while of its silence and sleeping, treasuring up more wrath, whereby the poor wretch will be payed home with multiplyed increase of terrour, and horrour, O! that ye knew how evil a thing, how very evil a thing it is to have a Conscience not purged from dead works, a Conscience not sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ: as no stranger can intermiddle with the joy of a mans Spirit, who hath a good Conscience, a Conscience sprinkled and purged by the blood of Christ; so no man can to the full represent to you the exceeding terribleness of the terrour of an evil Conscience, when awakned by the wrath of God pleading and pursuing a quarrel with the Soul, which quarrel he is infinitly powerful to avenge; It would be very suitable to be often enquiring at our selves, what is become of the quarrel? and what solid ground of peace and confidence towards God is there? We will all most certainly, and inavoidably be put on this great tryal, O! suffer not your selves to be so far deluded, as to think that a silent and stupid Conscience, is a good Conscience, and hath no danger with it, which is as great folly as to think that a feeless and benummed member of the body is thereby in …o danger, nay the danger is so much the greater.
2ly. Observe, That though all men naturally be under thi… evil of an unpurged Conscience, yet in the covenant of Grace, God hath laid down a way how sinners may get their Consciences purged; This is the Apostles scope in both these scriptures, even to lay a solid ground for the consolation of Believers, and for a high commendation of Gods grace, viz. That by application made to the blood of Jesus, there is as a real purging of the Conscience from sin win at, as there was access made to persons ceremonially unclean, by these sacrifices and washings under the Law, to external Church-priviledges, being ceremonialy cleansed thereby: which is not so to be understood, as if the sin committed had never really and actually been, so as the purged Believer should neither remember it, nor repent of it; that is not at all the meaning of the Doctrine, but it is to be understood legally, that as to the removing of the guilt of sin, and as to his having peace with God, and in his own Conscience, it is purged so, as sin cannot stand in the way of his expecting Gods favour, nor simply in the way of his delighting himself therein, more then if it had never been; though the man be the debitor, yet there is a way laid down in the Gospel covenant to declare him free; even as a man that has plaid the dyvour or bankerupt, though he cannot simply, and in all respects be made as if he had never been so, yet by anothers paying of the debt, he is before the Judge acquited, and is reckoned free of the debt, as if it had never been contracted, or owing, and as to any effect that might in law follow on it, to his prejudice; just so is it here with the sinner, that flees to the blood of sprinkling, and the word purging, sufficiently holds it out, especially when it is joyned with coming with boldness, and confidence to the throne of God; for if it should be said to such a sinner, how canst thou, how darst thou come to God with such confidence, that hast an ill Conscience through so much sin? He answers, Let us draw near, or come, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience; So that as to a confident approaching to God, and application of Christs righteousness▪ persons who have made application of the blood of sprinkling, may come to God with as much holy and humble boldness, as if the Conscience had never been defiled and pollured; and the experience of the Saints, who in this way have found peace and confidence, is a great evidence, and confirmation of the truth of it.
3ly. (To come a little nearer) We may Observe in the negative, That there is no way for a man, that has once had his Conscience defiled, and polluted with sin, to be cleansed and purged from it, but by the blood of Christ: If we look through this 9th Chapter from the beginning, and the following 10th Chapter, We will find that the Apostles scope is to prove, that it is not the blood of Bulls, or of Calves, nor any one, or all of these ceremonial Sacrifices, washings, or purgations that can do the business; as he more particularly cleareth, v 9. of the 9. Chap. Where the Apostle insinuats, That though God appointed many means and mid…es of purgation, yet if there had been no more but these, they could never have effected the perfyting of a man, as pertaining to the Conscience; Its only the blood of Jesus, that hath this effect: And this one reason will confirm it, viz. That there is no other thing, but the blood of Christ, that can satisfie Gods justice, and remove the qu…rrel, that is betwixt him and the guilty sinner; its he only, in whom God is well pleased; he is our peace; and there is no name under heaven given, whereby a sinner can be saved, but the name of Iesus; And till God be satisfied, the Conscience cannot be quiet; seeing then that nothing can satisfie Gods Justice bu… his blood, there can nothing purge and satisfie the Conscience but it; Therefore David prayes, Psal. 51. Purge me with hysop, and I shall be clean▪ Where he all…ds, and looks to the blood of Christ, that was …ypifyed by the sprinkling of Blood, with a bunsh of hysop under the law, as the Apostle doth here.
As the Use of this Doctrine, We would have the …aith of this great truth well fixed and riveted, that every mans Conscience, whether awakned or not, is still de…iled and polluted till it be cleansed and purged by the blood of Jesus Christ; as bodily, or outward exercises profit not as to this; So the mouth of the Conscience will not be stopped, till it get of this blood; So that if it should be said, Who will lay …ny thing to the charge of …ods elect? As it is, Rom. 8. The Conscience will answer, I have many things to lay to their charge; till that sweetest word that is …ubjoyned, be spoken to it, for stopping its mouth; its Christ who died, (shedding his blood) or rather is risen again; then, and never till then will it be quiet.
In further prosecution of the Use of this Doctrine, We wold have you to know, that there are four wayes that men are ready to take, for cleansing and purging of the Conscience, some one, and some another of them; which are all (if there be no more) ineffectual for reaching the real purgi…g▪ and solid satisfaction of the Conscience, which ye would therefore be aware of; As 1. Some endeavour to divert their Conscience, and to seek a Suspension of its pur…ing the quarrel against them, pretending some other uptaking business; as Felix did, Acts 24. Who finding himself beginning to tremble at the Apostles searching and powerful discourse, and unable to stand before his own awakning Conscience, he seeks as it were a Suspension from it for a time, saying to the Apostle (and to … Conscience on the matter) Go thy way for this time, and I will call for thee when I have a convenient season▪ Hence, when some persons are in heaviness, or in some …it of exercise of Conscience, they will … to some … and …cund friend, or to some game … … … …way, o… possibly to a four hours to drink it down, and the devil is as busie to … on the divertion… if there be such a friend to make a visit, he helps them to … it over, and to b…nish that melanchol…ous …, and so to bring the person to bear down this trouble of his Conscience, as a silly despicable fancy, and as if it were for their good to do so: I beseech you beware of binding up your Conscience thus, else it may grow worse on your hand, its even as … a man that hath a sore and aiking hand, should cut it off, or as if a part of his flesh were pained, and he should clap a hot burning iron on it; and yet this is a way that is very frequently taken by men, who cannot indure to converse with their disquieted Conscience, and therefore they labour to quash, and quench any begun exercise in it, whether under sickness or any other cross dispensation, or at a Preaching or Communion: It may be that many of you have had some such thing, and it hath been driven, or it hath worn away, and ye cannot tell how. 2ly. Another way is also too ryff and ordinary, and that is by seeking to stop the mouth of Conscience, by some other thing, then by the blood of Christ; hence some under terrible convictions will promise and vow, i… they drank excessively before, that they will do so no more; That they will not go to such a Tavern▪ nor to such a company for this and that long time; some will, it may be, after the committing of such or such a gros… sin, vow no… to ea… flesh on such a day of the week, throughout their whole life; they will, it may be, vow to be more religious▪ but so soon as the conviction, or trouble is over, they remain still the same, and their Conscience lets them alone, they take their own sinful latituds, and are found to have been all along, and still the same old carnal men; because they aimed nor singly at peace with God through Christs blood, but for the …ime to stop the mouth of their Conscience. 3ly. Some se…k to compense the Conscience, or to compense sin to the Conscience, and not to purge it; they will, it may be, take some pennance on themselves; and this is it that leads not only Papists to their pennances, whippings, pilgrimages, &c. but many ignorant Protestants to make peace with their Conscience, by a covenant of works; They will pray, and seek after tears in prayer, they will invite, in a manner themselves to mourn, they will give some thing by ordinary to the poor, and set themselves to amend some things for the time to come; and yet the defilement and pollution of Conscience …yes on still unremoved, because they never be-took them…elves to the right fountain to wash at, to the blood of Christ to be purged; Hence, the Iews ordinar…ly betook themselves to their sacrifices, and legal wa…hings and purifyings; when they sinned, if they brought a bullock, calf, lamb or a goat, they thought they had done enough; and therein had a sort of peace, s…ch as i… was; but sayes the Apostle, it was not that which made them …, as pertaining to the Con…cience, none of these, nor all of these could purge, or truely pac…sy it; because they could not take away the quarrel betw…xt God and them; and thus many professors of the Gospel betake teemselves to external ordinances, or outward performances of duties▪ and rest on these; I do not condemn, nor diswade from these duties, which are good in themselves, because commanded by God, but your resting on them; and would have you to put a difference betwixt founding your peace on them, and the founding of it on the blood of Christ applyed to the Conscience by faith; O! seek not thus to bribe the conscience, for as it will not be boasted, so neither will it be bribed. 4ly. There is another way (that being rightly made use of, hath its own commendableness in it) which is, when persons are under some trouble, or disquie… of Conscience, they betake themselves to Confer…nce, it may be with some exercised Christians, holding ou… their case to them for some ease and quietnesse; which (as I said) is good and commendable in it self, and may through Gods blessing do good, if the end be to be helped thereby, to go to the fountain of Christs blood and wash there, but its our fault, when in the use of this mean of conference, we seek to have our Consciences quieted by arguments, while in the mean time, the blood of Christ is not by faith had recourse to, for cleansi…g and calming of it; I suppose the ablest of men, whether privat Christians, or Ministers of the Gospel, were speaking to us never so convincingly and comfortably, and were holding out evidences▪ to us, sound in themselves of a good stare, if (as I just now said) there be not believ…ng application made to the blood of Christ, for taking away the ground of the quarrel betwixt God and us, there is no reasoning, nor evidence whatsoever, that will or can give a well grounded peace to the Conscience; considering that the best and most disce…ning men may be mistaken, in their application of these evidences to us: neither is it the end of Conference, to be a ground of peace, when in the mean time, there is no solid course taken how to get our debt paye…, and the justice of God satified: our main, yea, our first work would be, to be take our selves to the Cautioner, and to the blood of sprinkling, under the conviction and sense of sin and guilt; and then we may profitably reason our selves, and admit of the reasoning of others for help to quiet our Conscience; and unless there be actual fleeing to Christ, and to his blood preceeding and going before words of comfort or direction spoken, whether in private or in publick; This word of God declares them to be null and vo…d, as to any advantage to us.
4ly. Observe, That when nothing can pacify an ev…l and defiled Conscience, nor purge it from dead works, the application of the blood of Christ by faith, can and will purge that Conscience, and give peace and quietness to it, with holy and humble confidence, and boldness in coming, and drawing near to God, as if in some respect it had never been defiled by these dead works of sin. Its the Apostles great scope and design here, to press these two, which are the two branches of the Doctrine. 1. The sufficiency of Christs blood, as the price that …atisfies divine Justice, and quiets the Consc…ence; for when the Conscience gets this blood applyed to it by faith, it has no ground to crave any further satisfaction, to the justice of God, whose deputy it is, as if something were owing; that blood, as a full and condig… price satisfies for all the debt; How much more (sayeth the Apostle here) shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works? The 2d, Branch is that which followeth upon …his▪ as a native use of it, That a Belle…er who hath fled to Jesus Christ after the committing of sin, and hath actually applyed his blood to the Conscience, may have quietness in it, and go with boldness and confidence to God, and may on this ground maintain his peace, in some respect, as if he had never sinned: So …uos the Apostles scope, if we look to the 19. v. of Chap. 10. and forward▪ Having therefore brethren (sayeth he) boldness to enter into the holiest by a new and living way, …y the blood of Iesus, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of saith, having our hearts sprink…ed from an evil conscience; though it hath been polluted before: This is one of the rarest pearls, and richest Jewels of the Gospel, one of the excellentest priviledges of a Bel…ever▪ and one of the noblest, and notablest expr…ssions and evidences of the grace of God, and withall the great proo… of the reality and efficacy of the satisfaction of our blessed Lord Jesus, viz. That when the Consc…ence of the poor Believer is confounded, and in a manner put on the wrack with many challenges for sin, he may m…ke application of Christs blood, and on that ground have sweet peace and tranquillity of Soul.
For further clearing of this, We shall 1. lay down some grou…ds for its confirmation. And then, 2ly. make some …se of it; As for the first of them, to wit, some grounds to confirm it▪ Take these few shortly, 1. If by the application of Christs blood, there be solid peace made up betwixt God and the sinner, it will necessarly follow, that the application of the blood of Christ will …urge the Conscience, and ought to be ground of peace and quietness to it, For (sayeth Iohn, Epistle 1. Chap. 3. v. 20.) God is greater then the heart, or Conscience; and sayeth Paul, 1 Cor. 4. 4. Though we know nothing by our selves, yet are we not hereby justified, but …e that judgeth us is the Lord; This is sound reasoning, God hath nothing to say, therefore the Conscience ought to be satisfied: But it is clear, that by the application of Christs blood, solid peace is made up betwixt God and a sinner, As Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by saith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Iesus Christ; There is no standing controversie, nor quarrel …onger then by faith, the blood of Christ is …led unto and applyed; Iohn 5. 24. He that heareth my word, and believeth on …im that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; He shall come to judgement to be absolved, but not to be condemned; for (as it is Iohn 3. 18.) He that believeth on him shall not be condemned; And Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ; And 1 Iohn 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life, &c. This being the over▪word of the Gospel, it will follow, that the Conscience of a poor sinner, that is fled to Christ for refuge, hath good ground of peace, and that there is no ground to the Conscience …ormentingly, or anxiously to challenge: And this is indeed no small matter, and yet no presumption after a sinner hath fled to Christ, to quiet himself, and to be at peace on this ground. A 2d ground of confirmation is, the experience of all the Sain…s recorded in the Scripture, after their fa…lings and fallings into sin; what hath quieted them, may also qu…et us; for there is but one way of making peace with God, and the taking of that way workes, as to the main, alike to all: Now its this way, that hath quieted them, its the same faith in all, and alike precious … in all, as to the kind; because it hath the like precious substantial effects in all; It is this therefore that must give qu…etness and boldness to us: That which quieted them was a look, an often renewed look, as guilt was of new contracted, through all these types and shadows, to Christ; all of them had their original and actual pollutions, whereby their Conscience was some w…y defiled and disquieted; yet through application of Christs blood they wan to peace; Purge me, sayes David, Psal. 51. with …ysop, and I shall be clean, &c. Even when the Conscience was writeing his lybel, and he was under challenges for his guilt, he had the faith of his interest, and attained peace, through application of the blood of Christ, that was to come, signified by purging with hysop: For that ground stands sure, which is laid down, Act▪ 13. 38, 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren, that through this man, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are … from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law o… Moses: There is indeed (as if he had said) a large and long …, and Inditement, that Sin, and t…e Law, and the Conscience have against you, but be it known unto you, that through Iesus Christ, remission of sins is preached to you, and that through saith in him ye are justified, and fred from the challenges of the Law, and from the terrours of justice, and of the Conscience, even …rom all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses: outward means, and mis…aken law, Christ being miskend and past by, cannot give freedom; but by Christ Jesus ye may have freedom.
A▪ 3d. Ground of con…irmation, is taken from the consideration of the excellency of Christ Jesus, and the efficacy of his blood; from the consideration of the excellency of the Person, who steps in, and … his blood for a ransom, which being applyed, the Conscience ought to be quiet, and should not (to speak so) have a face to lay any thing to the Believers charge: And this is prest in these two Scriptures on these grounds; How much more shall the blood of Iesus Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge the conscience? In which words, we have three things to hold out the excellency of this sacrifice. 1. The excellency of the sacrifice it self; its a Sacrifice without spot; all these Sacrifices under the Law were but types of this Sacrifice, and there was alwayes something to be said of them, which argued their imperfection; but no such thing can be said of his, He was never polluted; by his wonderful conception, by the Holy Ghost, he was kept free from the least tincture, or touch of that pollution that all Adams Sons and Daughters (the Mother of the Lord not excepted) descending from him by ordinary generation are defiled with, and so was a sacrifice, against which severe justice, had nothing to object, being most exactly conform to the Law of God, to the Covenant of Redemption transacted betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator, on which this is mainly founded; but he was compleatly satisfied therewith, as we may see, Psal. 40. 6, 7… Where he is brought in saying, Sacrifice and offering, thou didst not desire; all these things were rejected, as having no equivalent value, or worth in them, for a…oneing and satisfying provocked divine justice, as is clear from the beginning of the following 10. Chap. and down-ward; Where the Apostle cites, improves and applyes the words of the 40. Psalm; Then I said, lo, I come in the volumn of thy book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O! my God; And sayeth he, v. 10. By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus; The good will of God willing such a thing, and accepting thereof, makes that we are thus purged, and made clean.
But 2ly. Beside the excellency of the Sacrifice, we have the excellency of the Preist that offered it; O! what pertinent and powerful reasoning doth the Apostle use, Heb. 7. To prove the excellency and pre-… of Jesus Christ our great high Priest, above and beyond all the Levitical Preists; These Priests were temporal, he is eternal; They were but servants, he is the Son▪ They were consecrated without an oath, he with an oath, according to the order of Melchisedeck; They offered many Sacrifices and often, He offered but one Sacrifice▪ and bu… once, as it is, v. 27. of that 7th Chapter, and chap. 9. v. 28. and chap. 10. v. 12. and 14. Whereby he hath for ever per…yted them that are sanctified; And (sayeth he) such a high-Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled separa… from sinners, and made higher then the heavens. 3ly. There is the excellency of the Altar on which the Sacrifice was offered up; and the Altar is, (as the Lord sayes) that which sanctifies the sacrifice; This was the God-head of our bles…ed Lord Jesus, He through the eternal spirit offered up …imself: Though, as man he had a beginning, yet as God he had no beginning; and through the God-head, he offered up his humane nature, which had its worth and efficacy from the divine nature, to which it was united in his blessed person; in these three, the worth, value, and transcendent excellency of this Sacrifice is held out; The Sacrifice it self, is Christ as man offered up both in his body and Soul; The Altar on which it is offered, which makes the S…crifice savour so very sweetly to God, to be of such value and worth, and to be so highly acceptable, is the eternal spirit, the God head of the second person of the glorious, dreadful and adorable Trinity; Therefore, Acts 20. 28. God is said to purchase or redeem the Church with his own blood; not with silver or gold, or any corruptible thing, as Peter sayes; and the Priest is, Christ God and man in one person; He is the Sacrifice, in respect of his humane nature; The Altar, …n respect of his divine nature, giving value and virtue to the humane nature; For though his humane nature was in it self unspotted, yet being as such a finit creature, the divine nature to which it was united in his person, did add thereto such a value, as made it in this respect to be of infinit worth and value; and he was the Priest, in respect of both natures, as God man and Mediator for sinners: Now these three being put together, what imaginably can be more desired for quieting the Conscience, then may be had▪ and is here? Especially i… we add, the nature of Christs offices and his continuance in them: Having such a High priest over the house of God; a Priest living for ever to make intercession for all that come to God by him; let us draw near with full assurance of saith; For he who cloathed himself with the vail of our flesh, hath …orn the vail, and taken down the pertition wall that was betwixt God and us; and by his sufferings hath made a new and living way to us through it▪ into the holy of holies; and from this that sweet word follows, which we have, 1 Iohn 2. 1. If any man …in, we have an advocat with the Father, Iesus Christ the righteous; A high-Priest, that hath offered himself in a Sacrifice, to satisfie divine …ustice; and a high Priest that lives for ever, to interceed for the application thereof; hence also most comfortably follows, that he is able to save to the uttermost▪ these that come to God through him; able to save them from sin, from wrath due for …in, from challenges for …in, from unbelief and disquietness of Conscience, and to give solid and perfyt peace. The 4th and last ground of confirmation which we shall name, is drawn from the consideration of the nature of the covenant of redemption, in the reality, legality, efficacy, and extent thereof in reference to sinners; if there be such a Covenant, and paction betwixt God and the Mediator transacted (to speak so) …n the eternal counsel of the God-head, wherein it is agreed that Christ shall come into the world, and take on the sins of the Elect, who shall all in time, in due time flee unto him for refuge; And that they, upon their fleeing to him, shall have their sins pardoned; and that his satisfaction shall be accepted for them, as really as if they had payed their own debt, and …atisfied justice in their own persons, (had that been possible;) and if on …his bargan and transaction all his sufferings are bu…lt; then sure there is in Christs death a most solid and sufficient ground of peace and quietnesse to the Conscience of a finner, that hath fled to him, and closed with his …atisfaction; even as solid and sufficient, as if he had payed the debt himself: For it were blasphem…e to imagine such a covenant, so laid down, and for such an end, and not to be most real and effectual for reaching the end; This covenant being most sure, and this being the end of it, as it is … Cor. 5. ult. viz. To make him sin for us who kn…w no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him: by the same covenant and good will of God, Father, Son and Spirit, concurring to lay down this way of Salvation, Christ was made sin for us, not against his will, but with his will, (for he was most willing to undergo the work: as is clear from, Psal. 40. compared with Heb. 10. And this was the reason, or rather end, for which he was made sin for us; even That we might be made the righteousness of God in him; That he being found the sinner, and dealt with as the sinner, we might be declared righteous; not as if we had never sinned, but that by imputation of his righteousness, and Gods gracious accepting of it for us, we are reckoned free, as if we had payed the debt our selves, in our own persons: and if the covenant betwixt God and the Mediator, had a real effect on Christ Jesus the Cautioner; if he really took on our nature, and in that nature suffered, and payed our debt; if our iniquities in the punishment of them did meet on him, As it is▪ Isa. 53. The Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all; If he drank the bitter cup that we should have drunken, and satisfied justice for us; then sure the covenant must have a real effect on the other side▪ as to us; and we have good and sufficient warrand to believe, that God will accept of that satisfaction for believing sinners, that lay hold theron for making their peace; and that he will as really keep that part of the bargane, viz. To m…ke the application of Christs satisfaction forth-coming to them, as he did the other, in exacting that satisfaction from him: as many as are now before the Throne, are joyful witnesses, and glorious Monuments of the reality of this part of the covenant; and indeed there is no more legality (to speak so) in the impu…ing of our sin to Christ, then there is legality in imputing his righteousness to us, in giving us absolution, and declaring us righteous through him: for there was no ground for justice to have any claime against Christ, but the will of God, and the covenant of Redemption, wherein Christ undertakes the debt; and there is no other ground for making his purchase forth-coming to the sinner, that by …aith layes hold on him; Its the same blessed design that carries on both parts of the bargan: And now putting all these together, may we not most confidently say, that there is notably good ground for quieting of the Conscince of a sinner, that by faith betakes himself to the blood of Christ; and that such a sinner may with well-grounded Confidence hope for, and certainly expect pardon and absolution, as if in some respect he had never sinned.
We cannot now insist to speak to the Uses of this Doctrine; only from this we may clearly see, 1. How much sinners are oblidged to God, and to the Mediator Jesus Christ; and how poor, sorry and miserable a life, and how comfortless and cursed a death we should have had, if he had not laid down a way for purging the Conscience from dead works; even this excellent and wonderful way by his own most precious blood: And therefore defiled and guilty sinners would endeavour to make this Doctrine very dearly welcome, as Paul doth, is 1 Tim. 1. v. 15. When in a transport of holy admiration, he cryes, This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came into the world to save sinners; O! Believers in Christ prize his grace highly, and bless him heartily, even with all that is within you, that ever the thoughts of this way of relief, for lost sinners were in his blessed heart. 2ly. Since it is most certain, that naturally we all have evil Consciences, through the debt of sin, and defilement of dead works; and that through the blood of Christ, if we flee to it by faith, and take hold of his satisfaction, we may get our Consciences purged, and our debt as certainly payed as any mans debt is, who hath in his Charter-chist, the discharge of a Sum he was once owing. Then let me beseech you for the Lords sake, to make this your great work, to get the application of this blood made to your Consciences, and to have it on good grounds made sure, that ye have, by faith made application of it▪ that ye may not live and die in a conjectural and guessing uncertainty about it; O! How mightily momentuous and concerning to you, through all eternity is it, to have your defiled Consciences sprinkled with that blood; if it be of concernment to you, to have access to lift up your heads with joy, and your faces with boldness in that day, when the hearts of many shall fall them, for fear of those things coming on them, and their knees shall smite one against another, when their faces shall gather paleness, and they shall weep and houl desperatly without all hope; Then doubtless it is of your concernment, of your incomparably greatest concernment to get your Consciences sprinkled with this blood; otherwayes be assured, live as ye will, and die as ye may, this defiled ill Conscience will cleave to you, as a girdle doth to the loins of a man, and it will yell and roar on you, with unconceavable terror and torment: It will then be known, and acknowledged by many, to their everlasting shame, and loss, and to their endless terror and torment, that there was a greatly concerning truth in this Doctrine, viz. That the only way how to get a defiled Conscience purged from dead works of sin, is by the blood of Jesus Christ.