The Application of Redemption, Book 1
… Introduction to the Work.
1 PETER, 1. 18, 19.
… asmuch as you know that you were not Redeemed with Corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, but with the Precious blood of Christ, &c.
AMongst all the heavenly Truths of the Gospel, which the … Christ hath Revealed and Commended to His Church, out of his holy Word, there is none more precious, then that wherein the Application of the rich Redemption purchased by him, is …, and made good to the hearts, of those who … to the Election of his grace; as giving a … to all the rest of the Doctrine taught & learned, … putting the Soul into possession of all those treasure grace, which were only promised on Gods part, … hope apprehended by the Sinner before: In a word that which gives life to the fainting heart, in the … of Gods free grace.
For what availes it the hungry to hear of fat … choice wines, and rare …, and not to know … come at them? What profits it the condemned … factor to hear tell of a Pardon, and the Party … give it, if yet he be ignorant, what way he should … procure it, for his own deliverance? So here, … vailes it the forlorn Sinner, sitting down under … tence of Condemnation, and fainting away for … and forgivness, to hear of the rich mercy of a … sufficiency of the merits of a Christ, and the … demption provided by both; and yet see no way to tain them or the deliverance of his Soul by them? … knowledge of the mercy adds rather to the … his misery and distress, to think there is so much … to be had, and he hath so much need, and yet … liends no way to get it, no well grounded hope … tain it.
The truths themselves which properly … this place of Divinity, and lay forth the … Gods grace, and the work of his Spirit in the Soul, wonderful, for secrecie, sweetness, and power … as they ever have and do at this day exercise the … able judgments that are or ever were; so were … be handled by a head and heart fully fitted to … good a matter, and expressed by a tongue as the … a ready Writer, (as the Psalmist speaks) I … would appear that, as the difficulty is great, so the fit would be equal, and the comfort unmatchable … would issue from the open discovery of those … ries.
For my self (being privy to my own weakness) it … suffice in a familiar manner to accommodate my … (though it may be somwhat rudely) to the … of the meanest: and in the manner of my …, in order to that end, attend the Method …:
First, By a short and familiar description we shall … what that Work is which we purpose to ….
Secondly, We shall chuse such Texts, in which all … divine truths contained in the descriptions are …; that so we may go no … than we have … Oracles of God (his good Word) to go before us; either shall we meddle with every particular which … several Texts will offer to our Consideration, but … handle such as concern our purpose.
Lastly, We shall knit the whole frame together by … joynts and sinews of distributions and divisions, … such as are attentive may never be at a loss, nor yet … or mistake the Lord, but that it may be well seen … David hath it) How the Lord goes in his …, where the prints and footsteps of God be, in … proceeding with the Soul in this great Work.
To press on to our … purpose: Know then … must, after Adam by his Fall and Apostacy, had … away from God, and that gracious estate in … he was Created according to his Image; having … undone himself and his posterity, being all … Children of wrath, under the Curse of the Law, … they could not avoid being just, nor bear being …, as issuing from the infinite displeasure of an … God: whose Law they had broken, and … the Seal of the Covenant under their feet. … the recovery of him and any of his out of this … condition, two things were requisite to be done … to Gods righteous dispensation in the way of Providence.
First, There must be a Redemption … the death and obedience of Christ, that Gods … and holiness which were wronged might be …
Secondly, There must be an Application of Redemption unto the Souls of such for whom … paid, that so they might have the good and … that, which Christ had performed and God … in their behalf; and both these must be done for … Sons of Adam, who ever shall see … face … grace or glory. For such is that help … condition …, … which Adam had brought … … his …, that as he hath no … of own to do any … that may redeem himself … his …; … … … … of his own … ply that to himself … is … … …, further … he is fitted by the preventing grace of Christ … In the Former of these we have the … of … … open before us; In the Latter; we come to Possession of them: The Former shews the … this Second the Appropriation of it unto such, such only unto whom God hath intended it, … whom it hath been made by Christ. … … … Head and … of …, … … … the … Sweet of the …, … we … (… helping) … little to pursue in the … Exercise, as long as the Lord is pleased to give … liberty. To begin then with a Description of Doctrine of Application, it may be this, in brief.