The Gospel New-Creature, Treatise 2 · Part 2

The Gospel New-Creature · Treatise 2 · Part 2

p. 110ROM. 3.24.

Being juſtified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jeſus Chriſt:

I Am now come to open the Goſpel-righteouſneſs, wherein a poor ſinner finds acceptance with God; which in ver. 21. of this 3d of the Romans, is ſaid to be now manifeſted; that is, more fully manifeſted by the Revelation of Jeſus Chriſt in the Goſpel, being witneſsed (before) by the Law and the Prophets, Even the righteouſneſs of God which is by the Faith of Jeſus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, ver. 22. called, the righteouſneſs of God; namely, that, whereby God doth onelyonly juſtifie and accept of a ſinner, wrought forth by the obedience of Jeſus Chriſt, and made over and imputed to a poor Soul that doth embrace it by Faith, whether Jew or Gentile, outwardly righteous or profane: all that ever come to God, muſt come this way, and ſtand before him in this righteouſneſs, or periſh for ever: which I ſhall begin to open from, ver. 24, 25.

1. Being juſtified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jeſus Chriſt.

2. Whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his bloud, &c.

We have endeavoured, in the former Diſcourſe, p. 111to go along with the Apoſtle, in proving, that by all the Deeds of the Law, all the beſt Obedience that a ſinner can reach unto, he cannot be juſtified before God, neither in part, nor in whole, that your good deeds will not procure pardon, nor poiſe down your ſins, but all, by the Law, equally under condemnation.

Of what importance then is it for poor condemned ſoules to be well acquainted with, and really and practically inveſted in that way of juſtification, that God in infinite wiſdome, mercy, and love, hath ſet forth in the Goſpel, which is that I now deſign.

The Apoſtles arguing is thus: If all fall ſhort of righteouſneſs, and acceptance with God by their own obedience: If all have ſinned, and come ſhort of the glory of God, then are all, and that equally, condemned: If ſo condemned, then acceptance with God, and juſtification, and remiſſion of ſinnes muſt come in another way: The Riſe and Fountain of which, muſt neceſſarily be Gods free mercy and grace: If made righteous, it muſt be in the righteouſneſs of another, wrought forth by another: Juſtice muſt be ſatisfied by another, a price paid to God for a ſinners redemption by another, which is, Jeſus Chriſt, bleſſed for ever.

From the words then, I ſhall firſt lay down this plain Obſervation, viz.

Obſerv. Gods free mercy and grace is the firſt Fountain of any ſinners ſalvation; or, 'Tis upon the account of 'Gods free grace, that any ſinner is ſaved.

p. 112Thus runs the current of the whole Goſpel, the main deſign of the Goſpel being to glorifie the riches of Gods free grace by Jeſus Chriſt: Among many other Scriptures, the Apoſtle doth moſt convincingly diſcourſe in Rom. 5. from the 15th to the end: letting the free grace of God unto juſtification, in oppoſition to a ſinners condemnation: But not as the offence, ſo alſo is the free gift; for if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jeſus Chriſt, hath abounded unto many. To the ſame import, run the reſt of the verſes, The free gift of many unto juſtification; much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteouſneſs, ſhall reign in life by one, Jeſus Christ: All of grace, and of free-gift, abundance of grace, from firſt to laſt: That as ſin reigned unto death, ſo might grace reign through righteouſneſs, unto eternal life by Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, verſ. laſt. So the Apoſtle in that Epiſtle to the Epheſians wherein the Doctrine of grace is bleſſedly given forth, drives all the ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly things in Chriſt, mentioned Chap. 1.3. &c. to this bleſſed Fountain, Chap. 2.4. &c. But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in ſins, hath quickned us together with Chriſt (for by grace ye are ſaved) ſo ver. 7. That in the Ages to come, he might ſhew the exceeding riches of his grace; and ver. 8. For by grace ye are ſaved, it is the gift of God.

Therefore the invitation of the Goſpel to ſinners runs upon this ſcore: Ho, Every one that thirſteth, come to the Waters of Life, Iſa. 55.1. And, Whoſoever p. 113will, let him come to the Water of Life freely, Revel. 22.17.

I might illuſtrate this in all the particulars of a ſinners ſalvation, God's fore-ordaining and chooſing any to ſalvation, 'twas to the praiſe of the glory of his grace, Eph. 1.5, 6. The gift of his Eternal Son Jeſus Chriſt, from free love and grace, John 3.16. The New Covenant, and all the Promiſes of it, freely given out for his own Names ſake, Ezek. 36. Effectuall Calling, from free grace, 2 Tim. 1.9. The gift of Faith, actual Juſtification, Tit. 3.7. Sanctification, Perſeverance, Eternal Life and Glory, all flowing from the ſame Fountain of Free-grace: Some Reaſons of the Deſign of the Bleſſed God in this, may be gathered from the Scriptures:

The Free-grace of God is the Fountain of all, in any ſinners ſalvation;

1. Becauſe, There is nothing in the Creature that may move God to ſave him: Nothing at all, All we know or do, could not move God to mercy, Deut. 7.7, 8. The Lord did not ſet his love upon you, becauſe you were more in number then any people, but becauſe he freely loved you, &c. Not for your ſake do I do this, &c. Ezek. 36.32.

2. As God ſaw nothing in him, ſo the ſinner is able to bring nothing to God, to draw out mercy of his own: Therefore, ſaith the Lord, Iſa. 55.1. let him come without his price: As the ſinner loſt all his good, ſo he can procure none a new to bring to God, that may in the leaſt move the heart of God to give out more to him.

3. If it were not all of grace, then the Creature would have occaſion of boaſting; but the Lord in infinite p. 114wiſdome, ſo laid the Project of a ſinners Salvation, that no Creature ſhould have the leaſt ground of boaſting: So the Apoſtle having given out the Doctrine of grace in this Scripture we are upon, draws this concluſion, ver. 27. Where is boaſting then? It is excluded, &c. So in the 1 of Cor. 1.29. the Holy Ghoſt lays down this as the main ſcope of God in the Goſpel: That, No Fleſh ſhould glory in his preſence: Therefore Salvation is all of grace of Free-grace.

4. If it were not ſo, The glory of God would not be ſo great in the Salvation of a ſinner: 'Tis now ſo laid, that all might be, to the praiſe of the glory of his grace, Epheſ. 1.6. It being the higheſt piece of glory, that the Wiſe and Bleſſed God did ever deſign unto himſelf, that his free, rich, abundant, infinite grace, might be made known in the Salvation of a Sinner: That he might make known the riches of his glory on the Veſſels of Mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Rom. 9.23.

Ʋſe 1. If Gods Free-grace be the Fountain of all in a poor ſinners Salvation, then let it eſtabliſh our judgments in this Doctrine: Therefore God had no reſpect to any fore-ſight of Faith or Works in the Creature; God had no reſpect to the freeneſſe of his Will, for he knew he had none: God had no reſpect to any conditions to be wrought in us; but all he did, and doth, was from abſolute Independing-grace: Nothing moved him but his own Free-grace. The ſame Free-grace that pardons, gives, and workes all in us; All from the ſame Fountain.

p. 1152. If all be of Free-grace, then there is no meritorious-procuring Cauſe in us, that moves the Lord to mercy: Now the contrary is naturally rooted in our hearts; poor Soules are moſt apt to conceive, that if they can grieve for their ſins, repent, and reform, this will ſure move God to mercy and pardon. A moſt dangerous ſnare, from which a Soul, after much conviction, is hardly wrought off: Now, though God in the way of a Sinners Salvation, hath promiſed to give Repentance, Act. 5.31. and a Spirit of mourning for ſinne: yet a poor Soul muſt take heed that he make not this a procuring cauſe of Pardon: Many a Soul ſticks here, before emptyed of himſelf, even of his very repenting, and ſo come for grace and mercy, upon the account of the Free-promiſe onelyonly: How many a Sinner might have been ſaved, if he would have been ſaved freely?

3. If God hath ſo laid the Deſign to ſave a Sinner freely, then how great, how juſt is the Condemnation of guilty ſinners that will not haſten in unto it: how could the Lord have laid it more freely then he hath? Oh that any ſinner, for ever condemned to Hell without it, ſhould withſtand it! Why ſinner? Shall the Bleſſed God, that might have much glory in condemning thee to all Eternity, be willing to ſave thee freely; and wilt thou not come and bow unto him, & accept of it? All the contempt of God, in all his Holy Commands, is not like this, to turn the back upon Free-Mercy, Free-Salvation: This will be the Worm that never dyes to any of your Soules that ſhall not come into, and rightly accept of Goſpel-ſalvation, that you might have been ſaved freely, have had grace, remiſſion of ſins, Jeſus Chriſt, the Spirit, p. 116Eternal Life freely, and yet turned your backs upon it? But you may demand, How is it that any ſinner doth ſo? What is it that cauſeth any Soul to forego Free-grace and mercy when held out unto him; that we may beware of ſuch hinderances?

I will therefore ſhew you ſuch Hinderances that keep Soules from accepting of Gods free grace in Jeſus Chriſt, when held out unto them.

1. Wilful Obſtinacy, Joh. 5.40. Ye will not come unto me, that you might have life: Ye will not; ſuch is the ſtubbornneſs & rebellion of the heart of a ſinner, that he will not, as we ſpeak, becauſe he will not: to ſuch a height hath ſinne raiſed the heart of the rebellious children of men; for, every natural man, till made ſenſible of unbelief, thinks he hath Power of himſelf, (though he hath not), but his Rebellion lyes in his Will: I would have gathered you, and ye would not, Mat. 23. laſt.

2. A ſinner doth not accept of Free-grace, becauſe he ſtands upon his ſelf-juſtification, (as we uſe to ſpeak) he will not be perſwaded he hath ſo much need of all Free-grace, as the Goſpel diſcovers; as hath been ſhewed at large; though he hath ſinned, yet alſo he hath obeyed, and ſo he puts one againſt the other, his obedience againſt his ſin, and ſo hopes to get that mercy he hath need of. And upon this ground, more ſinners, even that profeſs the Name of God, do miſs of Heaven then any other in the World: 'Tis not ſo eaſie a matter to ſubmit to Gods Free-grace alone, as many do imagine: Upon this Snare, many of the Jewiſh Profeſſours of Chriſt fell ſhort; as 'tis clear p. 117from the Epiſtle to the Galathians, and did fruſtrate the grace of God.

3. A ſinner hath a ſecret thought of making God ſatisfaction, by his ſorrow and amendment, and ſo makes void the Free-grace of God: 'Tis the eaſieſt thing in the World to put up legal ſorrow and amendment of life to God, as that which may make God amends; yea, to make an atonement of every Duty, which is the cloſeſt and moſt deſperate evil of the heart: ſo did the Jew by his ſacrifices and obedience, which cauſed the Lord to pronounce of them, That his ſoul loathed them, Iſa. 1.

4. A ſinner doth not ſavingly cloſe with free grace, from a ſecret pride of heart, he would not be found ſo poor, and helpleſs, ſo unrighteous & ungracious, as to be beholden to free mercy for all; Many perſons will rather ſtarve then beg, then live upon another mans mercy: 'tis ſo between a ſinner and the Lord, till God humble him, hee'd rather venture Hell then come and acknowledge utter condemnation, nothing but ſin upon him, and ſo ſtoop to free mercy.

5. The ſinner ſtands off from free-grace, becauſe he will make his own termes: he will condition for his carnall eaſe, his ſelf-intereſt, his boſome luſt, the love of the world, and hopes God will allow him his termes, which he propoſeth to himſelf; and herein he is ruined. Now God hath drawn up the tenour of his free grace in the way of a Covenant, and though there are no conditions left to the creature p. 118to make good on his part, by his own power, (for that will eaſily imply a ſelf-ſufficiency in him, and is abſolutely derogatory from the grace of God in the Goſpel-Covenant,) yet God hath drawn up (as I may ſo ſpeak) what other good things he will beſtow on the ſubjects of his free grace, Namely, The Law to be new written in their hearts, the gift of the Spirit, Newneſſe of heart, with the making good of all thoſe promiſes, in a degree, that hold forth holineſſe and new obedience, which muſt accompany the free pardon of ſins, and make indeed, the free grace of God more glorious; Inaſmuch as when he pardons them he will ſave them from the ſervice of ſin, work his Image upon them, bring them to a bleſſed conformity to himſelf: which conſidered aright, ſweetens and heightens the free grace of God, and makes the termes of it more bleſſed; In a word, Mercy and holineſſe muſt go together, A Saviour and Sanctifier, which a ſinner from the curſed love of eaſe and ſatisfaction to his luſts ſticks at, and ſo comes not up to Gods termes, (which are bleſſed and holy) and ſo miſſeth of grace and mercy for ever, becauſe he chooſeth ſinne rather then holineſſe.

6. Yea a ſinner (and I ſpeak all this while of ſuch as pretend to an intereſt in free mercy) miſſeth of this grace, becauſe he takes up the termes of God, in his Covenant of grace, in his own ſtrength, will repent, and come up to new obedience before he comes to the promiſe, to the free grace of God for it; which is alſo a dangerous ſnare. A ſinner's firſt work, (being convinced as we have opened), is to throw himſelf p. 119upon the free grace of God, for all, to give all, to work all, and ſo to follow God by vertue of promiſes, of ſuch good and grace as the tenour of the Covenant holds forth; Tis an uſuall thing for poor ſouls firſt to think to convert themſelves, make themſelves holy, and then come to God, and Jeſus Chriſt, this is an indirect courſe, Oh! a poor ſoul muſt begin at the fountain of Gods free grace, for Chriſt, for pardon, for the Spirit, for converſion, for holineſſe, for all, as held out in promiſes, and then the worke will be ſure and proſper, and nought ſhall hinder it.

7. Sinners fail of this free grace of God, from a neglect and ſleighting of it, Heb. 2.3. How ſhall you eſcape if you neglect ſo great a ſalvation? Sinners do hear that, though they are ſinners and condemned, in a damnable eſtate, yet Jeſus Chriſt will ſave them; if they will come unto him, fit them for heaven, and do it himſelf for them, and in them: yet, through a deſperate folly, ſecurity, and careleſs temper, the heart being in a dead ſleep, they wretchedly neglect it.

8. From the power of unbelief, which they are under, and ſee it not.

Thus have I ſhew'd thoſe ſpeciall hinderances that cauſe poor ſouls that hear of Goſpel-grace to withſtand it, and for ever to miſſe of it.

Oh that this word of the Lord, might find you out, and might be as a glaſſe to ſhew you your own hearts; you who by a willfull obſtinacy, have withſtood the Goſpell-calls hitherto, Oh! now fall down before the Lord, and cry, I yeeld, I yeeld, thou bleſſed God, thy patience, thy freeſt grace hath overcome p. 120me; Lord take away a rebellious obſtinate heart from me: Ah Lord! Thou haſt waited to be gracious; and Chriſt, and Mercy, and Heaven have been offered to ſo vile a Wretch freely: Now, Lord, I throw my ſelf at thy feet, a thouſand Hells are too good for me: but if grace, infinite grace, be free, there's yet hope for me. If there be not grace enough in Heaven for me, let me go to the depth of Hell: but, Lord, I take hold of thee, I deſire to do it. Oh, do thou take hold of me, and I ſhall not periſh.

You who have ſtood upon your terms, and hoped you had Righteouſneſs enough to cover you, and God would look upon that, and not upon your ſin, you are the moſt abominable in God's ſight: you, who ſecretly in your hearts think your ſorrowing and reforming, makes God amends: you who have wrapt your ſelves in theſe Cobwebs, and through pride of heart, will not lay them down; Oh! if thou wilt have mercy, thou muſt have all in a way of mercy and grace; all freely, or nothing at all: ſee all thy righteouſneſs made void by one ſin againſt the Law, and therefore curſed and condemned by it; therefore thou haſt no Plea but free mercy and grace: Oh lay down all thy other Pleas, they will never be heard in Heaven! and now cry out, Oh 'tis of grace! proud ſelfiſh Wretch that I have been; 'tis all of free grace, if ever I am ſaved: If God cannot pardon freely, beſtow Jeſus Chriſt freely, I am undone for ever: Oh the wicked caſtings of my heart this way and that way! Oh there's nothing, nothing, but infinite miſ ry to move mercy! All my goodneſs is an accurſed thing, as from my ſelf: there's an infinite p. 121Fountain of ſin and ſelf-righteouſneſs in men: Oh could I come to an infinite Fountain of grace! Thus thou wilt come to God, when he ſhall ſmite thy heart. Which now look up unto him to do.

You who have been making your own terms of eaſe, and luſts, and world; Oh render up your hearts to the gracious, bleſſed, holy terms, that God propoſeth: Why ſhould'ſt thou not be willing to be made holy? Why ſhould not the Lord rather rule thee, then ſin and the Devil? What more beautiful and glorious then the Image of God? Oh accept of holineſs with mercy, through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt! Come unto him for both; be willing to be ſet apart for God, a Veſſel purged and ſanctified for his uſe, and thou ſhalt behold the face of God ſhining upon thee; and whatever is laid up in Chriſt, in Promiſes, in Heaven and glory, ſhall be thine.

You who have thought to make your ſelves holy, and then come to Chriſt to be juſtified: be convinced of your great errour, and now come as ſinners to Jeſus Chriſt to be juſtified and ſanctified in him, and ſee all grace laid up in Jeſus Chriſt for ſuch as come unto him. Say, Oh bleſſed Lord Jeſus, I cannot fit my ſelf for thee! If thou canſt not accept me as a poor undone helpleſs ſinner coming unto thee, I never expect a bleſſing from thee.

And you who have ſleighted this free, and rich, and glorious grace, ſee what you have done, and be abaſed for it: ſee how you caſt back mercy upon the face of God, who would freely be reconciled with you, paſs by all the grievous injuries you have done him, enter into a Covenant with you, beſtow his Chriſt upon you, fit you for communion with himſelf p. 122here, and for ever: and all this you have ſleighted, and yet muſt unavoidably be for ever damned without it: Sinner, who can plead for thee, when thou ſhalt go on to deſpiſe, neglect, ſleight ſuch grace? To Hell, without pitty of God, Angels, or Men, when freeſt mercy and grace ſhall be ſleighted.

I do therefore ſtand this day in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, to acquaint you, that he will ſave you freely if you will come unto him, be your ſins what they will, ſo you come not as righteous, but as ſinners to him; ſo you take his Righteouſneſs to cover you, and his Spirit of grace to unite you to him, and make you holy, and will give up your ſelves unto him: All which he will help, if you will come and cry to him; yea, if you cannot come, he will draw you: if you are unwilling, he will make you willing: if you have no heart, he will give you heart: What more? Wretched man or woman, that ſhall ſtand off one moment longer! Is not Hell too good for thee, if thou ſhalt now turn thy back upon ſuch grace? Let me have your Anſwers this day: Let me know that ſinner that will go home reſolved to be as careleſs as he formerly hath been, as well-opinioned of himſelf, as much reſolved againſt Holineſs, as thoughtleſs of being damned, if he with-ſtand the Lord in his Free-grace one day more? Oh! Will not your hearts ſtirre? dead, ſtupid ſoules! Shall God's Free-grace, his Chriſt, go a begging this day, and will not a ſinner come up to his terms? Old ſinners, that are going into the grave and Hell too, will not you accept of Free-grace, of Chriſt, the Spirit, this day? that are upon the brink of the grave and everlaſting burnings, and have many a thouſand ſin yet unpardoned? Is p. 123all this nothing to you? but reſt in a blind hope of mercy, without coming to Jeſus Chriſt, without care of being made holy, and fit for Heaven: Oh you have been faſt aſleep in ſin, deceived by your own hearts, abuſed by the Devil fourty, fifty, ſixty years, Is't not time for you to bethink your ſelves, to go and cry to the Bleſſed God; Oh! grace, pardon, Chriſt, Heaven upon any terms! My righteouſneſs I have truſted in, are poor Cobwebs, my Confidences vain: Oh! for a drop of free-mercy and grace, from that Ocean that is in God, and 'twere better then all I have done for Heaven yet: Oh Lord! Now, now, I come to thee; Is there free-mercy and grace for one that hath ſleighted it? Yea, though thou haſt gone on frowardly in thy own heart, yet he can heal thee, Iſa. 57.17, 18.

And you that are younger, 'tis a deſperate thing now in times of Goſpel-Light, when it glares upon your faces, to ſhut your eyes, to go on in the way of your own hearts, to ſleight Goſpel-grace, to harden your ſelves, and cry; Hereafter, hereafter. Alas! thou knoweſt not what ſhall be on the morrow; the Thread of thy Life is quickly cut with a ſtroke from God. Beſide, to go on long from year to year, againſt the loud and frequent Call of Jeſus Chriſt, againſt Convictions, that thou ſhouldeſt do otherwiſe, is the way to be given up to utter hardneſs, and the Lord to move upon thy heart no more. There's a day of grace to every Soul, which if he ſuffer to ſet and go down upon him, he is irrecoverably loſt for ever: Look to it, you younger men and maidens, that have yet no work upon you; that are the ſame you were, under the means you have lived; that have not the p. 124Spirit of grace and mourning upon you, when others are praying and wraſtling with the Lord, and taking the Kingdom of Heaven by violence. Oh up, and be ſtirring, the day of grace hath ſhined long upon you; Hold out no longer, Come, come, come, you careleſs Sons and Daughters, and the way is open to you; the door of Free-grace is open, Chriſts Arms are open; you may be ſaved and bleſſed for ever, if you come in, now you are invited; I can take no excuſe: Come, or ſay, I am reſolved for Hell, and to venture the utmoſt in the condition I am in: Oh bold and fearleſs Atheiſt! What ſhall I ſay to thee, if that be thy Reſolution? But I cannot be ſo anſwered: Say, you ſinners, as if I ſhould name you; Are you for Heaven, or Hell; for Free-grace, or your own patcht-up Righteouſneſs; for Carnal eaſe, or any Pains for Heaven; for your Luſts, or for Holineſs; for Jeſus Chriſt, or the Devil? Let thy Heart anſwer in good earneſt this day.

Now ſhall I, at laſt, have this Anſwer: Hold! I am reſolved for the Free-grace of God; for the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: If all the ſinners in the Congregation, yea in the World, ſhould turn their backs upon him; The Word of the Lord hath overcome, Oh Lord Jeſus, may I come, ſuch a Wretch as I, come! Yea, ſaith the Lord Jeſus, Rev. 22.17. Whoſoever will, let him come. Grace is as free as ever it was: Say then, Oh Lord, I come, draw me, and I will come: Into the Arms of Free-grace I throw my ſelf: my Righteouſneſs is an abominable thing: Ah! a Chriſt upon any tearms: Oh let, let me creep unto thy Bleſſed Feet; let me have the Loweſt-Room in thy Heart: Take what way thou wilt to purge me, ſo p. 125I may but get well unto thee. Now Lord, as much Holineſs as thou wilt; let thy precious bloud waſh me all over. Well! go thus, and acquaint the Lord Jeſus with it from day to day: Wait, he will ſpeak to thee: love to hear more from him, and of him, in his Goſpel, and thou biddeſt fair for Heaven; yea, there will preſently be joy in Heaven for thee.

In a word, I proteſt againſt you, in the Name and Authority of God, and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt who hath ſent me, if you ſhall withſtand the grace of God in Jeſus Chriſt, freely, moſt freely offered you, I ſhall be a Witneſs againſt you; and if any ſinners in the World ſhall be certainly damned, you are they, who neglect this great Salvation: 'Tis come to this, I would, ſaith Jeſus Chriſt, and ye will not. What a do to have a ſinner that's ſinking to Hell, to come to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to be freely ſaved? What ſhould a guilty ſinner do, but come to a free Saviour to be ſaved, and accept of his tearms (which are ſo bleſſed) with a thouſand hearts if he had them? Now ſay, how am I ſtraitned, till I get to him; I would go and weep my heart out to him, had I a heart to do it.

Now I leave what hath been ſpoken to the good pleaſure of God, and the work of his Power, who is able to ſend away every Soul trembling, and reſigning up themſelvs to him.

OnelyOnly a word to any poor humbled doubting ſoul, that thinks infinitely well of all this, but ſaith in his heart; All this grace is too good for me, I have ſinned againſt it, and ſleighted it; I fear, whether ever I may be accepted. Oh remember and conſider, that Grace were not Grace, if 'twere no free: p. 126God can ſave a ſinner freely; that's enough to ſtay thee: yea, though thou haſt ſleighted grace, (as where is the Saint but did ſo? before effectually called,) yea God will ſave a ſinner freely, that will come by Jeſus Chriſt unto him. He will: What would'ſt have more? Do not ſtand reaſoning thus: but, If thou art a ſinner undone without him, caſt off from thy own Confidences; go to him, in the Name of God, and believe him upon his own word: ſay, I take thee, Bleſſed Lord, upon thy own word: Thou ſayeſt, Whoſoever will, let him come: and, Lord, therefore I come: I durſt not come, were I not invited freely: and if I muſt be ſaved freely, if ever, then thou art to beſtow all, work all, begin and perfect all: Oh bleſſed Lord, I come unto thee for it; go and do thus, and thou ſhalt be comforted, and rejoyce in his Salvation.

I might alſo here preſs bleſſed Souls, who have been drawn to Jeſus Chriſt, and overcome by Free-grace to do it, to live in the admiration of that grace, and to be low, and poor, and empty in your ſelves, in the abundant ſenſe of it all your days: Let your enjoyments and attainments be what they will, be it known unto you, that by grace ye are ſaved; and you had, and have as much need of it, as any ſinner in the World: God's Deſign, in ſaving you, was to glorifie Grace; and it muſt be your Deſign alſo here, and for ever.

Having thus opened, in ſome meaſure, the grace of God to be the Fountain of a ſinner's Salvation, I ſhall now proceed to diſcover the way of the conveyance of this grace, which is by Jeſus Chriſt: (being juſtified freely by his grace, through the Redemption p. 127that is in Jeſus Chriſt) though God reſolved to beſtow grace upon ſuch as ſhall be ſaved freely; yet in a way of his own moſt wiſe and bleſſed Deſigning, by his Eternal Son Jeſus Chriſt, to whom this Diſpenſation of Grace was committed; which I ſhall further open in this Doctrine: Namely,

Doct. All that Grace and Mercy which GOD gives out freely to ſinners, is conveyed to them by his Eternal Son Jeſus Chriſt.

I might be abundant in the proof of this: See in that 5th of the Rom. v. 17.21. — Much more they which receive abundance of Grace, and of the gift of Righteouſneſs ſhall reign in life by one Jeſus Chriſt. And verſ. 21. That as ſinne hath reigned unto death, even ſo might Grace reign through Righteouſneſs unto Eternal Life by Jeſus Christ our Lord: All the grace that ſhould reign unto Life is given out by one Jeſus Christ. The Law was given by Moſes; but Grace and Truth came by Jeſus Chriſt, Joh. 1.17. All the Treaſures of Grace were laid up in him; and therefore he ſaith of himſelf, Matth. 11.27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and none can come unto the Father but by me; which he makes as the great Argument why ſinners ſhould come unto him, verſ. 28. Now ſo far as the Lord hath revealed the wiſe and holy Counſels of his heart in his Word unto us, let us inquire into the Reaſons why he took ſuch a way to give all his grace to the children of men.

Reaſon 1. The firſt is this, That as mankind loſt all in the Fall of the firſt Adam, as he was a publique perſon, repreſenting all that came of him: ſo it was the wiſdome of God in the recovery of loſt-man to p. 128bring forth another perſon that ſhould be fully ſtockt with grace and righteouſneſs, as a publique perſon to repreſent all the Elect unto the Father: upon which account Jeſus Chriſt is called the Second Adam, 1 Cor. 15. And the Apoſtle ſets the firſt Adam in his offence unto Death, and the grace and Righteouſneſs of Ieſus Chriſt, as the ſecond Adam, one againſt the other, Rom. 5.15, 16, &c. For as by one mans diſobedience, many were made ſinners; ſo by the obedience of one, ſhall many be made righteous: And ſo the Apoſtle ſets the Life, Grace, Righteouſneſſe, of Ieſus Chriſt, as the Second Adam, againſt the Death, Condemnation, Diſobedience of the firſt man that ſinned, in the 7 laſt Verſes of that Chapter. And herein the Wiſdome of the Father is moſt excellently ſet forth, and the ground of Conſolation to Believers laid upon a moſt ſure Foundation; That whatſoever they loſt in the Firſt Adam, they recover with much more abundance in Ieſus Chriſt; for ſo the Apoſtle hath [that much more] in the Scripture mentioned, three or four times; that Saints may ſee how abundantly compleat they are in Chriſt.

Reaſ. 2. All grace is conveyed by Ieſus Chriſt, becauſe there needed a perſon to ſtand between GOD and Sinners, as a Mediatour to work forth Reconciliation between them. Now who was meet but the Lord Ieſus Chriſt to undertake this? He being the Eternal Son of God, equal with God, was near unto God. A mere Creature was infinitely unfit for ſuch an undertaking: And he being alſo the Son of man, cloathed in the nature of man; he thus partaking of the nature of God, who was to be appeaſed; and of the Nature of Man, who was to be reconciled, he became p. 129a moſt meet Undertaker of ſo glorious a Work; Whence he hath that bleſſed Title given him of Mediatour: Jeſus the Mediatour of a New Covenant, Heb. 12.24. There is one God, and one Mediatour between God and Man, the Man Christ Ieſus, 1 Tim. 2.5.

3. God reſolved, that his bleſſed Son Ieſus Chriſt ſhould have the honour in this bleſſed Tranſaction, to convey his grace to loſt Sinners, Iam. 5.22, 23. That all men ſhould honour the Son: So the Apoſtle fully, Col. 1.16, 17, 18, 19, 20. All things were for him; And, that in all things he might have the preheminence, &c. For by him, and to him, and for him are all things. This honour the Father committed to the Son, to bring about this great Contrivance of bringing Man back again unto God.

4. God letting out his Grace by Ieſus Chriſt, renders his love more abundant and acceptable to poor ſinners, Ioh. 3.16. God ſo loved the World, that he gave his onelyonly begotten Son, &c. So loved it, that he could not give forth a greater manifeſtation of his love. Now the Father purpoſed to render his love to ſinners, by the gift of his Son, moſt full and glorious; and therefore gave him out of his Boſome, and all the Riches of his Love and Grace by him.

5. This way of the Father's diſpenſation of grace by his Son Ieſus Chriſt, hath rendered the grace of God moſt ſure and unchangeable to his own. The Covenant of Grace being now eſtabliſht between the Father and Ieſus Chriſt; Ieſus Chriſt being the Undertaker in it for all the Father gave him; it is certainly founded upon a ſure Bottome: This was the Father's Promiſe, Iſa. 42.6.— I will give him for a p. 130Covenant to the People. Ieſus Chriſt, as a common perſon, did repreſent all the Elect in the Covenant, as the firſt Adam in the firſt Covenant, did repreſent all his; and Ieſus Chriſt did undertake to bring them to God, to bring them into the Covenant, and ſo to eſtate them in all the grace, and mercy, and bleſſing of it: Therefore the mercies of the Covenant are ſtiled, The ſure mercies of David, Iſa. 55.3. As a Type of Ieſus Chriſt, coming of the Seed of David: wherein is ſet forth the excellency of the New Covenant, the whole Tranſaction of it intruſted in the hands of Jeſus Chriſt; and therefore not one drop of the mercy of it, can ever fail thoſe that are taken into it.

6. By the giving forth of Jeſus Chriſt the whole of Goſpel-Salvation is rendered more glorious; The Wiſdome, Juſtice, Holineſs of God, as well as mercy and love do ſhine forth in Jeſus Chriſt: And therefore the Goſpel-myſtery is ſtyled, The manifold Wiſdome of God, Epheſ. 3.10. Every Attribute of God is glorified in the giving out of Jeſus Chriſt.

7. Yea, had not God taken this way of making out himſelf by Jeſus Chriſt, the World had dwelt in groſs darkneſs of him: Therefore Jeſus Chriſt is ſtyled, The Image of the Inviſible God, Col. 1.15. The expreſs Image of the Father; The brightneſs of his glory, Heb. 1. And in 2 Cor. 2.6. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God, is ſaid, to ſhine in the face of Jeſus Christ. The Creation is but a dark ſhadow of the glory of God, as to what is revealed of God in the manifeſtation of Jeſus Chriſt. There are the Footſteps of God in the Creatures; but his Character and Image in his Bleſſed Son Jeſus Chriſt.

8. There could not have been acceſs to God, but by p. 131Jeſus Chriſt; for through him, we both have acceſs by one Spirit unto the Father, Eph. 1, 18. How could polluted Duſt draw nigh to the abſolute majeſty and glory of God, had not he let forth himſelf in Jeſus Chriſt, as in our own Nature, and ſo makes way for a poor ſinner to come before him.

9. Had God let forth mercy to ſinners, and not given out his Son Jeſus Christ: His juſtice muſt have been violated, which is the main of all. The word of the Lord was abſolute; In the day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt dye, Gen. 2.17. which was meant of the Eternal Death of the Soul in its ſeparation from the life of God; as is clear in Rom. 5. laſt. where grace unto eternal life by Jeſus Chriſt, is put in oppoſition to that death which was by ſin, which muſt therefore needs be meant of Eternal Death. So Rom. 6. ver. laſt. Now this Death muſt be executed upon all the Poſterity of Adam, or elſe God muſt take ſome other way to ſatisfie his juſtice, he will ſave the ſinner; which was upon his own ſon Jeſus Chriſt; as will further be evidenced in the following Diſcourſe.

10. The Bleſſed God took this way of letting out himſelf, his grace by Jeſus Chriſt, that thereby Saints might have union with him, which was a holy deſign of rhe Father in ſaving them; — That they may be one in us, Ioh. 17.21. The deepeſt and moſt unconceiveable myſtery in our Salvation: Now Ieſus Chriſt, as the Eternal Son of God, taking upon him our natures, we became capable of being united to him, through the Spirit, and made one with the humane nature of Chriſt, whereby we are alſo united to the God-head, and ſo become one with the Father and the Son, which is the top of the Saints perfection.

p. 132Uſe 1. Now what hath bin ſaid, as to the grounds and reaſons of God, in given out his eternall Son, and letting forth all grace by him, may ſerve to acquaint us with this rich and glorious Myſtery, as it is ſtyled, Col. 1.27. Namely, God reconciling the word by Jeſus Chriſt, letting forth the knowledge of himſelf: glorifying all his Attributes, making ſuch diſcoveries of his glory, providing ſuch a way of Mediation, ſuch a glorious Mediator, laying the bleſſed project of a ſinner's glorious ſalvation ſo ſure, rendring his love ſo acceptable and glorious, making way for free acceſſe unto himſelf, and how we might become one with him; Oh! the depths of the wiſdome and love of God; which of them may we admire moſt? well may Angels pry into this holy Myſtery, well may it be the aſtoniſhment of Heaven and Earth, of the whole Creation; How much more of a ſinner, for whoſe ſake it was thus ordered! Oh: that we might fall upon our faces, and adore the wiſdom and grace of God, in ſuch a contrivance as this, Oh! unmeaſurable goodneſſe! unfathomed wiſdom! Eternity is but enough to admire it! To behold God in Chriſt, will be the viſion which the ſouls of bleſſed Saints, will be wrapt up into, to all eternity.

2. Oh! therefore what infinite mercy is it to be brought forth in new Teſtament-times, when the Myſtery, hid in God, hid from ages, kept ſecret ſince the word began, 1 Cor. 16.25. is brought to light, and ſparkling upon the darkneſſe of the world; when the glory of God is riſen upon the world: Now, If this Goſpel be hid, tis hid to them that are loſt, 2 Cor. 4.3. Woe unto them that cloſe their eyes, when the light ſhines round about them; Oh! you p. 133that yet ſit in darkneſſe and the ſhaddow of death, Ariſe, Awake, look up, that Goſpel-light may ſhine into you; Oh cry, & wait that your eyes may be opened to behold God coming forth, in the Revelation of Jeſus Chriſt in the glorious Goſpel, waite for the ſpirit, and thar the Goſpel in the preaching of it, may become the ministration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3.8. Oh! guilty world, that ſo ſlight the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt, and contemn the Miniſtration of it; woe unto them.

3. If God doth let forth no grace and mercy but by Jeſus Chriſt; It may ſerve to unbottom poor ſouls from a generall carnall hope of mercy, not being acquainted with the way of grace by Jeſus Chriſt, nor coming as loſt ſinners in themſelves to be found in Chriſt, and juſtified by Jeſus Chriſt: this they utterly neglect, having an empty notion of Chriſts dying, but know not for what? and upon what grounds, and how a ſinner gets to God by him, Oh! let this reprove you for this groſſe and damnable neglect, and convince you that all your pretended hopes of mercy will vaniſh, unleſs you learn the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt.

4. And therefore, If no way to the Father, no intereſt in mercy, no acceſſe to God but by Jeſus Chriſt; Let it ſerve to teach poor ignorant ſinners, yea all of us, how to get to God, to mercy, into his Covenant, Oh! No way but by Jeſus Chriſt; Oh! I can never come to the preſence of Gods Majeſty, but by Jeſus Chriſt, who is appointed Mediator to bring a poor ſinner to himſelf, to make way for him into the preſence of God, to conveigh mercy and grace to a poor ſinners, Oh, ſay, that p. 134I could acquaint my ſelf with Jeſus Chriſt, take hold of his skirts, and he will bring me into the favour, love, covenant, viſion, union of God; This is the way for a ſinner to come unto him, Joh. 14.6.

5. Let it call upon Saints, that know Jeſus Chriſt in the Spirit, that they do not grow ſtrangers to him, that they neglect not Jeſus Chriſt; Oh! Neglect him not in his bleſſed Mediation, grace, love, fellowſhip, appearance, ordinances; 'Tis a grievious thing, and very apt are Saints to it, to neglect Jeſus Chriſt; Oh▪ ſtill know and conſider, that as your acceſſe to God was by him at firſt, ſo it is ſtill; His Mediation for you, his love and grace and fellowſhip is as good as ever, as precious as it ever was; Therefore have high and precious thoughts of him, of your bleſſed acceſſe to God by Jeſus Chriſt.

The next thing that I come to open is, how Jeſus Chriſt wrought forth ſalvation and juſtification for a ſinner, ſo that the free grace of God might by him be freely let out upon a ſinner, Namely, the work of his Redemption, [through the redemption that is in Jeſus Chriſt, verſe …4.]

I ſhall not inſiſt upon the many difficulties, that the wiſdome of the fleſh hath ſtarted about the word, or worke of our Redemption; but endeavour as I have promiſed to give it out, in a plain Scripturall practicall manner, for the uſe of poor ſinners.

Redemption ſignifies a deliverance from captivity, by a price or ranſome laid down.

Man had ſin'd himſelf into captivity, and a juſt condemnation; God from his own free mercy, was willing he ſhould be ſet at liberty; but this ſhould p. 135not be done but by a price or ranſome being paid to God, which was the intervening death of Jeſus Chriſt, who being the eternal Son of God, came down from Heaven, took upon him the nature of man, was willing to ſtand in the room of ſinners, bearing their ſins in the undergoing the puniſhment for them, whereby God laid upon Jeſus Chriſt the iniquities of all, that ſhall be ſaved, Eſay 53.6. proceeded againſt him, as if he had bin the ſinner, in a way of Juſtice, executed his wrath upon him; Thus he is ſaid to dye for the ſins of his own, 2 Cor. 5.15. Heb. 9.15. and to give himſelf for us, and to give his life a ranſome for many, which death of Jeſus Chriſt is ſtyled an expiatory ſacrifice, an atonement and propitiation, All which do imply, that by the death of Jeſus Chriſt ſatisfaction was made to the infinite Juſtice, of God, as if the ſinners, that are ſaved by it, had ſuffered the utmoſt of divine Juſtice in their own perſons; Thus much may ſerve briefly, to open the nature of Chriſts redemption.

The Doctrine I ſhall lay down from the words will be this.

Doct. To the Salvation and Juſtification of a ſinner (in order to Gods letting out his free grace upon him,) there was required the death of Jeſus Chriſt, as a price laid down, to the juſtice of God for his redemption.

I might urge many more texts, beſides what have bin named, As 1 Pet. 1.18.19.—redeemed, not with ſilver and gold, &c. but with the precious blood of Jeſus Chriſt, Epheſ. 1.7. Col. 1.14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveneſſe of our ſins; This was it which was typified by all p. 136the ſacrifices in the Old Teſtament-diſpenſation, as in the Epiſtle to the Hebr. at large; ſpecially in the 9th Chapter, verſe 12.13, 14, 22. — And almoſt all things are by the law purged with blood, and without ſhedding of blood is no remiſſion;

From hence the reaſons of divine wiſdome, thus proceeding, ſo farre as revealed in the word, will be clear.

Reaſons 1. That the Juſtice of God might be glorified in the ſalvation of ſinners, as well as mercy, Now there being atonement made to Juſtice by the death of Jeſus Chriſt the Righteouſneſſe of God hath a ſhare in the glory of mans ſalvation with the Grace and mercy of God.

2. The purity and holineſſe of Gods juſtice did require it, which being violated, by the ſin of man, it was moſt equall that ſatisfaction be made, which no mere creature was able to do, and therefore the eternall Son of God, bleſſed for ever, was appointed of the Father to it: therefore 'tis ſaid verſe 25. of this 3d of the Rom.— That He might be juſt, and the justifier of them that believe in Ieſus, given as a reaſon of Gods ſetting forth his Son to be a propitiation.

3. The expreſſe word of the Lord did require it, who pronounced to all mankind in Adam, that the tranſgreſſour ſhould ſurely dye, Gen. 2.17. Therefore upon his tranſgreſſion, the ſinner muſt either dye in his own perſon, or another in his ſtead, which God in his infinite wiſdome might order as he pleas'd; Now God being willing to glorifie his mercy, choſe to lay this puniſhment on his own Son Jeſus Chriſt, and not on the condemned ſinner, which Jeſus p. 137Chriſt alſo voluntarily undertaking, the word of the Lord was fully made good, and Jeſus Chriſt dying for the ſinner, (being made a curſe for him,) 'twas all one as if the ſinner himſelf had dyed.

4. God gave out a holy and righteous Law, written in the heart of Adam; which Law was juſt, and holy, and good, Rom. 7. Now this Law being broken, God would not diſpence with it, in ſhewing mercy to the ſinner, unleſſe his Law was ſatisfied, which Jeſus Chriſt undertook; Rom. 8.3. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the fleſh, God ſending his own Son in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh and for ſin condemned ſin in the fleſh, that the righteouſneſſe of the Law might fulfill'd in us, &c. Gal. 4.4. But when the fulneſſe of the time was come, God ſent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, &c. So that the Law was fullfilled by Ieſus Chriſt, as if the ſinner had kept it fully in his own perſon, by Chriſt's becoming obedient to the death of the Croſſe, and ſo ſuffering the puniſhment of the Law; (ſtill in the ſtead and name in the ſinner) and by his keeping the Law, in the pure originall righteouſneſſe of his nature, 2 Cor. 5.21. and Heb. 7.26, 27. and by his actuall obedience to it, in the perfect obſerving of it, Rom. 5.19. For as by one mans diſobedience, many were made ſinners, ſo by the obedience of one many were made righteous; Namely, by the obedience of Ieſus Chriſt, which he gave unto the Law; Now all ſinners being condemned by the Law, the Law could not remit them, till it was ſatisfied, it call'd for puniſhment, and full obedience, which Ieſus Chriſt gave unto it.

p. 1385. God could not ſo freely (to ſpeak after the manner of men) let out grace and mercy, unleſſe ſuch ſatisfaction had bin given by Ieſus Chriſt: now it can come eaſily, delightfully, chearfully from the righteous and gracious God, ſeeing his juſtice will not plead againſt it, but for it, being bleſſedly ſatisfied, and Ieſus Chriſt by his death did fully merit it and deſerve it at the hands of God, and laid down as much as God in infinite juſtice would require, therefore tis now as well justice as mercy for God to remit a ſinner that comes to God by Ieſus Chriſt, 1 Iohn 1.7. God is juſt to forgive us our ſins.

Now, hereupon, God having ordained and accepted of ſuch a way of atonement, his juſtice glorified, and ſatisfied, his word (that the ſinner ſhould dye,) made good, his Law to the utmoſt ſatisfied; what remaines, but that the bleſſed God can remit the bondage, guilt, condemnation of the ſinner, having thus accepted of ſatisfaction? what remaines but that he ſhould pronounce, as he doth, Iob 33.24. Deliver him, for I have found a ranſome; God can now pardon the ſinner that comes believingly by Ieſus Chriſt to him for it, without any regreat, his juſtice ſhall be glorified by it, as well as his mercy; God hath charg'd all upon another, and accepted of full payment, call'd himſelf to witneſſe of it, and will never repent of it;

Object. If any ſhould Object, Wherein is free grace glorified, if God have received full ſatisfaction to his juſtice?

Anſw. I anſwer,

1. 'Twas infinite free grace for God to give out his bleſſed Son Ieſus Chriſt, when there was no obligation p. 139upon him; he gave him and ſent him freely, Iohn 3.16. from his own free love; therefore there's a world of free grace in mans ſalvation.

2. 'Twas infinite grace towards the ſinner, to accept of ſatisfaction by a Surety, Heb. 5. and not on the ſinner, the party offending, himſelf; what abundant grace, and love, to lay the ſins and guilt upon another, ſpecially the onelyonly Son of his boſome, who was without all ſinne, 2 Cor. 5.21. and not to condemn the poor helpleſs ſinner for ever.

3. 'Twas infinite free grace for God himſelf to contrive the way, of ſuch a Redemption: had it bin left to ſinfull man to have found out a way, how juſtice might be ſatisfied, he could never have done it; It could never have entred into the heart of Man or Angels, to have offered to God a ſatisfactory way for the making up of his wronged juſtice, but he muſt have periſhed for ever; therefore this is a world of grace.

4. The Father was at Liberty, to impute this Redemption of Chriſt to whom he would, to this ſinner and not to another, Rom. 9. He will have mercy, on whom he will have mercy, &c. So that 'tis indeed a debt to Chriſt; but all of free mercy and grace, to any Sinner that is ſaved.

Uſe 1. If then Salvation & remiſſion of ſins came in this way, by the death & blood of Ieſus Chriſt, then it may diſcover to us the infinite hatred that God bears to ſin, that, to make expiation & atonement to his juſtice, there could no ſacrifice be found, but the death of his eternall Son Ieſus Chriſt; Oh! that ever a ſinner p. 140ſhould delight in that, which the holy God ſo much hates and abhorres?

2. Let it be for convincement to poor ſinners of the infinite neceſſity of this way of Redemption by Ieſus Chriſt, in laying down his life to ſatisfie the juſtice of God, and of getting their part in it; you have heard the caſe of a ſinner, condemn'd by the Law, liable to eternall death, ſubject to the rigour of divine juſtice, no way able or in a Capacity to make ſatisfaction to God, mercy as it were bound up by juſtice, Oh! therefore what neceſſity of a Mediator, of a Redeemer, to work forth deliverance, to lay down a ranſome for ſinners, dye and undergo the curſe and wrath of the great and dreadfull God, fullfill the Law, make ſatisfaction to the wronged juſtice of God to the utmoſt; this Ieſus Chriſt hath done for miſerable ſinners that will come to him. Now, the moſt of poor ſouls, have but a notion of Chriſts dying, but know not what is meant by Chriſt dying for me, though ſometimes in their mouths; Oh! ſinner for Chriſt to dye for thee, (if thou getteſt a part in his death) is to undergo the puniſhment and curſe and death that thy ſoul was liable to, which otherwiſe muſt have come upon thee to the utmoſt, it was to be made ſin and curſe for thee, to bear thy ſins, and ſtand in them; Oh! that thou couldſt really be convinced of the neceſſity of this Redemption, that thou couldſt never come to God without it, and therefore to get thy poor ſoul ſtated in it!

3. If ſatisfaction to Gods juſtice can onelyonly be by the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, then let me again preſſe you, that you take heed of performing your duties and p. 141repentings as if thereby you did ſatisfie and pacifie God for the ſin of your ſouls. This is the moſt dangerous ſnare upon poor ſouls, that though they have ſinned, yet they hope God will be pacified with ſome praying, and ſorrowing, and amendement: now, though this ſhall be in a ſpirituall manner, upon every pardoned ſinner, and tis a capacity God puts the ſinner into, when he applyes the death of his Son, and ſo gives out mercy and pardon, yet you muſt moſt carefully take heed, that you offer not up ſuch duties, as if they did make God amends, and pacifie him for your ſins; but look above and beyond them, as if they were not, and ſo to caſt your eye to the great ſacrifice of the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, which Alone makes atonement to God, and makes way for a poor ſinner to come to him.

4. That as ſinners would learn the bleſſed Myſtery of this Redemption, and the neceſſity of it, and how it makes atonement, merits mercy and pardon, procures peace and reconciliation with God, ſo they would come and accept of it, and fall down before the righteous God, and plead it to him; Thou haſt heard the way of Gods letting out mercy to ſinners, and no mercy but in that way, but by juſtice being ſatisfied by the death and blood of Jeſus Chriſt, whereby he becomes the Saviour of ſinners; Now this bloud is offered up to God, the price is paid and accepted with God, and in the Goſpel of God tis revealed and preacht to the guilty world, and tis freely offered to any poor ſinner, that will come and accept of it, and make claim to it, and plead for mercy and forgiveneſſe upon the account of it, and will come to the termes of it, which is to p. 142be accepted and pardoned alone by vertue of it, to be waſhed and ſanctified, and actually deliver'd not onelyonly from the guilt and condemnation of ſin, but the power and reign and pollution of it.

Oh Sinner! be awakened and ſtirred up by the word of the Lord, to get actuall deliverance from the guilt, bondage, reign, ſervice, of thy ſin; go and cry to God, offer him up the blood of his own eternall Son, tell him thou ſeeſt he may let out juſtice upon thee to deſtroy thee, and damn thee for ever, of thy ſelf thou haſt no plea againſt it; But aske the bleſſed God, if it may not be more glory to him, and his grace & mercy glorified by it, if he will accept of ſatisfaction by his own Son Jeſus Chriſt; plead to him, that thou heareſt he dyed in the room of guilty condemned ſinners, ſuch as thou art, ungodly, Rom. 5.6. yea tell him, with an humble adoration of his mercy and love in it, that thou heareſt in his bleſſed Goſpel, that 'tis offered to any ſinner that will come and accept it, and that 'tis proclaimed from heaven, that theres ſatisfaction made by the blood of a Ieſus, for the greateſt ſinner, ſuch as thou art, Oh! cry unto him, that therefore thou comeſt and beggſt to be heard in thy plea, and that it may be entred in Heaven, that thou comeſt for all the ends of his death; thou art weary of the ſervice of thy luſts, and the pollution of thy nature, and therefore thou wouldſt have thy nature cleanſed, thy conſcience purged, all which thou findeſt the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt is able to do; yea tell him, and plead it with ſome humble boldneſſe, that thou art acquainted that Jeſus Chriſt prayes in Heaven, for ſuch ſinners that come and plead his bloud to thee, and that he p. 143is heard in what he prayes, and that therefore forgiveneſſe muſt be had; yea, ſay, thou will hold on thy plea, thou haſt no other, and art reſolved againſt any other: If thou ſhalt to Hell pleading the bloud of a Saviour, be it ſo, but I am reſolved to plead it to the utmoſt; yea, tell him, & cry to him that it cannot repent him, that he hath ordained the ſacrifice of the bloud of his own Son, and therefore why ſhouldſt thou be rejected? Yea, Come to this iſſue, through the Spirit of faith upon thee, that if it can be that a ſinner crying out for pardon, upon the account of the death and bloud of Jeſus Chriſt, and for ſanctification, may go to Hell; then thou wilt willingly lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and open it no more, but ſinke under divine vengeance to eternity.

Oh! That every poor ſinner might go home with this plea in his heart, written there by the holy Ghoſt; and pierce Heaven with his or her cryes and groanes, and put the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt before him, and plead for mercy and holineſſe, to be pardoned and ſanctified, till God ſay, Go in peace, thou art pardoned, redeemed, and bleſſed for ever.

Yet a little to excite a poor drowſie ſinner to this eternall Concernment.

1. Conſider, thou art under the guilt of thouſands of ſins; one whereof is enough to ſink thee to Hell: Guilt, if continued, is Hell begun, and wants nothing but the execution of vengeance upon thee: Oh what ſhould a guilty ſinner do but cloſe with a Saviour, and get an intereſt in Redemption from it!

p. 1442. Specially conſidering, that all the Duties and Obedience thou haſt performed towards God, or ever ſhall, have not made, (nor ever will) the leaſt payment to God for thy ſins, thou art as much in debt to God as ever thou waſt, as much behind with him: All the Items for the ſin of thy Nature, thy Thoughts, Words, and Actual Wickedneſs, and thy ſinful Neglects, ſtand uncancelled, all ready to be charged upon thee: And nought will be accepted for payment, but the death of Jeſus Chriſt, the onelyonly Price that God will hearken to: Nothing will cancel the Book where all thy ſins are recorded: Nothing will blot out the Hand-writing that is againſt thee, but the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, Col. 2.13, 14.

3. God is reſolved never to forgive you the Debt, till you have put in this Plea, and it be recorded in Heaven, and you have it in a Goſpel-way: No forgiveneſs of ſins, but by Redemption pleaded, claimed, poſſeſſed, and ſealed by the Holy Spirit, Epheſ. 1.7, 14.

4. Thou art yet under the Bondage and Reign of thy ſin, and therefore under condemnation; the Law is gone out againſt thee, thy Sentence pronounced; Curſed is every one that tranſgreſſeth, &c. ſaith the Law: And thou art in bondage yet, and haſt not procured actual deliverance from it. If a Priſoner be condemned, and lye in Fetters in a Dungeon, and hears of a Ranſome paid for him, What's this to him, till he have his liberty. So for a ſinner to be in the Fetters of his Luſts, held faſt by them, a Bond-man to the Devil, & hear of a Chriſt laying down a Ranſom, What is this to him? unleſs he ſue it out, and get actual deliverance and liberty, the liberry of the p. 145Sons and Daughters of God, and have a Spirit of Adoption, to cry, Abba Father, Gal. 4.4, 5. That being made free from ſinne (the Reign and Power of it by the power of the Lord Ieſus revealed in him) you may become ſervants to God, and have your fruit unto Holineſs, and the end everlaſting life.

5. Conſider, as thou ſtandeſt in thy filth and uncleanneſs of thy ſins, thou art unfit for God, either to pleaſe him in any thing thou doeſt, or to be with him in Heaven hereafter; thy perſon and ſervices are loathſome to the Soul of God; therefore get waſhed and purified in the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt: Go on to cry, and wait (and beg a heart to do it, and that in Faith) till thou ſhalt feel peace coming in, by thy conſtant Plea of the bloud of Chriſt, till thou ſhalt feel cleanſing vertue of it upon thy Soul, till thou ſhalt experience the power of his death deſtroying ſin in thee, and ſo ſhalt finde, thou haſt fellowſhip with him, and ſo a part in this bleſſed Redemption we have been treating of.

6. Now to encourage a poor ſinner to this coming to God, with the Plea of Chriſt's bloud in his heart and mouth, and to draw forth the Faith of a poor humbled doubting ſoul.

Conſider the All-ſufficiency and worth of the price of the death of Ieſus Chriſt, to ſatisfie the juſtice of God, and procure pardon and ſanctification for a poor ſinner; which may appear from ſuch like Scriptures. The Apoſtle in the 7th of the Hebrews, having been opening the excellency of Chriſt's Prieſthood, which is chiefly converſant in this Work of Redemption, in the offering up of himſelf a Sacrifice, concludes, v. 25. of that Chapter. Wherefore he is able to p. 146ſave them to the utmoſt, that come unto God by him: To the utmoſt; that is, with a perfect Salvation, that nothing more can be deſired to it. So in the 9th Chap. v. 11. &c. the Apoſtle reaſoning from the Levitical Sacrifices, to this of the bloud of Chriſt, argueth the full perfection of it. — By his own blood he entred in once into the holy place, (namely, into Heaven) having obtained eternall Redemption for us; and thence concludeth, verſe 14. How much more ſhall the blood of Christ purge the conſcience, &c? A much more upon that, above all the Sacrifices that were offered up to God: Which will appear.

1. Becauſe of the eternall God-head of Chriſts perſon, by which he offer'd up his bloud unto his Father; Heb. 9.14. — Who through the eternall Spirit offered up himſelf without ſpot to God. Which put an infinite value and efficacy upon the offering of his bloud; Inaſmuch as Jeſus Chriſt was God as well as Man, though he could onelyonly dye in his humane nature, yet the efficacy of his God-head had an influence upon the price of his dying, which put an infinite worth upon it, and ſo renders it full and perfect redemption.

2. The price of the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt, did not onelyonly give a bare ſatisfaction to the juſtice of God, but it had an infinite merit in it, a redundancy of merit, whereby it deſerved at the hands of God, that ſinners that are intereſſed in it, ſhould have remiſſion of ſins, grace, the love of God, and glory to come, ſpirituall bleſſings which the death of Chriſt purchaſed for the elect; which being alſo by the free purpoſe and Compact of God, there muſt neceſſarily ariſe an infinite merit in it.

p. 1473. The all-ſufficiency of the price of Chriſts blood is evidenced by his reſurrection, & aſcenſion into glory, implying that he wrought forth full and perfect Redemption by his death, therefore he is ſaid to riſe again for our juſtification, Rom. 4. laſt. and to be juſtified in the Spirit, 1 Tim. 3. laſt. that is, God by raiſing him from the dead, juſtified him in the atonement he had made by his death, and that he did chearfully accept of ſatisfaction by it.

4. The blood of Chriſt procures boldneſſe of acceſſe to God, therefore there is an infinite worth in the price of it; Heb. 10.19. Having therefore, Bretheren, boldneſſe to enter into the Holieſt, by the blood of Jeſus; which boldneſſe doth ariſe from the full ſatisfaction that is made to Divine juſtice, in as much as God, upon the acceptance of it, hath nothing to charge upon the ſinner himſelf, no quarrell againſt him, having charged his ſins upon Chriſt, and therefore the poor ſinner may come with an humble boldneſſe into the preſence of God; and this is that which puts boldneſſe into the Conſcience of a believer, when he appears before God.

5. From the experience of it, the fouleſt ſinners that have come unto it, have bin waſhed from their ſins by it, as, 1 Cor. 6.11. Idolaters, Adulterers, Sodomites Drunkards, Revilers, have bin waſhed, and juſtified and ſanctified by it. The blood of Jeſus Chriſt his Son, cleanſeth from all ſin, 1 John 1.7.

6. It cleanſeth and perfects them for ever: therefore call'd eternall redemption; once for all, and for ever, Heb. 10, 10, 19. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever, p. 148them that are ſanctified; once juſtified and for ever.

Now from this ſatisfaction, merit, all-ſufficiency of the ſacrifice of the blood of Jeſus, to cleanſe a ſinner, to commend him to God, how ſafely may a ſinner venture his ſoul upon it, (which is the firſt act of faith)? A poor ſinner when under conviction, and the terrour of the Lord hath taken hold of him, lyes trembling before the Lord; whether God will let out juſtice or mercy upon him; he is ready to give glory to the Juſtice of the Lord, if he reject him for ever. But now if a poor ſoul get a ſight of the blood of Chriſt, how it deales with the juſtice of God, what full and all-ſufficient ſatisfaction it hath made to God, for the ſins of ſuch as plead it to him, how God more delights in it, then in the condemning of the ſinner, what a ſtay is this to the wavering doubtfull Spirit of a poor ſinner? when he can come to ſee juſtice to have its due, and ſo God can freely let out remiſſion to a poor ſoul, upon the very firſt Act of a poor ſinners cloſing with it, though not preſently evidenced in his conſcience; Oh, ſinner, venture the iſſue of all upon this price of the blood of Jeſus, thou mayſt ſee thou haſt the greateſt reaſon in the world to do ſo, thou wilt never come to have a ſafe bottome for thy ſoul, till thou comeſt thus to deal with the juſtice of God, as fully ſatisfied by the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, thou wilt ſtill be off and on about free mercy, till thou come to fix here, and be in ſome good meaſure eſtabliſht in it; Be daily in exerciſing thy ſoul in ſuch ventures and caſtings upon it; and the ſpirit will at laſt witneſſe peace and reconciliation to thy conſcience.

p. 149In a word, ſinners, you that have had no ſtay to your ſpirits for the forgiveneſſe of your ſins, but a blind hope of mercy, look up, look up to the Juſtice of God, and ſee this way of acceſſe to God for you, by the blood of Jeſus; Oh! let not any profane ſinner trample it under foot, caſt it back upon the bleſſed face of God, Say not in thy heart, let God take the blood of his Son to himſelf, Ile not be waſhed from my ſins, Ile not be ſanctified, Ile reſt as I am; Deſperate ſinner, Of how much ſorer puniſhment ſhalt thou be thought worthy, then any ſinner under Heaven, who rejecteſt the onelyonly worthy price of a ſinners ſalvation? Know, the great God will let out all his Juſtice upon thee to the utmoſt, and Oceans of his death ſhall fall upon thee, if thou thus a-abuſe the blood of his Son; a greater guilt then all thy ungodlineſſe thou haſt hitherto bin wallowing in from thy youth up; Oh! Come thou deſpiſer and caſt thy ſoul under the droppings of this blood, and it ſhall cleanſe thee, though thy ſoul were as black as Hell; Zach. 13.1.

And thou poor formal out-ſide Profeſſour, who never didſt feel the vertue, healing, life, and warmth of the bloud of Chriſt upon thy heart: Oh reſt not in good thoughts of it onelyonly, but come believingly to it, as thou haſt been exhorted: Say, and that with thy heart, Now Lord I would know the power and efficacy of this Redemption upon my poor ſoul: Waſh me, Lord, waſh me; I renounce all but the blood of this Chriſt, as to making way to God for me, Oh! let it pacifie my conſcience, and purge my conſcience, and I ſhall be clean.

p. 150If the Spirit of the Lord ſhall work thy heart to come as a guilty helpleſſe unholy ſinner in thy ſelf, to this blood of Jeſus, and make thy approaches to God daily, and argue for grace and remiſſion upon it, and purging thy ſoul; theſe ineſtimable bleſſings will be the iſſue of it, which I will but name to thee.

1. Thou ſhall Certainly find forgiveneſſe of thy ſins; In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveneſſe of our ſins, Epheſ. 1.7. God will remember them no more againſt thee; and thou ſhalt have peace with thy God for ever.

2. God will let forth an infinite unchangeable love upon thee, Rom. 5.5. which love he bore thee from eternity, but will now manifeſt it to thee, and eſtate thee in it for ever.

3. Thou ſhalt have boldneſſe of acceſſe to God, Rom. 5.2. even into his intimate preſence, to ſpeak with God face to face, and ask of God what thou wilt, according to his will, Heb. 10.

4. All the promiſes of mercy, grace, and all bleſſings here and for ever, ſhall be thine; made over, ſealed in the blood of Chriſt.

5. Thou ſhalt rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5.2. with all Saints, and ſee thy ſelf an heir of heaven.

6. Thou ſhalt be ſtill a waſhing, and purifying, and fitting for Heaven, till thou ſhalt be taken up unto God, and live in the Ocean of his love to all eternity.

Now if eaſe in thy ſin and the world, can do better for thee, than this that I have named; then keep in; but if not, (as moſt certainly it cannot) Ariſe, p. 151and come, to this bleſſed Redemption, and get thy part and portion in it; and thou ſhalt ſay, Bleſſed be thy counſell and advice for evermore.

But now upon this Redemption of Ieſus Chriſt, how is a ſinner ſaid to be juſtified; that is, to be put into an actuall poſſeſſion, of the Redemption of Ieſus Chriſt through the free grace of God?

1. When the Compact was made between God the Father and Ieſus Chriſt, as to the ſalvation of thoſe, that the Father gave to Ieſus Chriſt, and Ieſus Chriſt undertook the fulfilling of the Condition of the Covenant, ☞ God did purpoſe in himſelf to juſtifie them from eternity, and look't upon them as in Chriſt; 2 Tim. 1.9. Epheſ. 1.4. So they were juſtified as to the purpoſe of God from all eternity.

2. When Ieſus Chriſt performed the condition of obedience in his dying, and paid unto God what he required at his hands, for the ſinners redemption, then did God, as in the Court of Heaven, diſcharge the ſinner, (though not in the court of Conſcience) and when Chriſt aroſe and came to Heaven, the Father gave him in, an abſolution of them all, from the guilt of ſin, and obligation to death; and ſo at the death of Chriſt all the Elect were meritoriouſly juſtified, inaſmuch as the price was paid and accepted of the Father, Rom. 5.10.

3. When according to the purpoſe of God, through the purchaſe of Ieſus Chriſt, a ſinner is called by grace, hath faith given him, (as purchaſed alſo for him) to embrace Ieſus Chriſt in the Promiſe, to receive him as offer'd in the Goſpell, and with him all ſpirituall bleſſings; then is the ſoul put into the p. 152actuall poſſeſſion of what God, in his purpoſe and love, determined to give him, and Ieſus Chriſt by the purchaſe of his blood, gave him a right to before, and ſo there is an Act of Gods pardoning mercy paſſeth upon the ſinner, he hath an actuall diſcharge given in unto his Conſcience, hath the obedience of Ieſus Chriſt imputed to him, and ſo is lookt upon by God not as a ſinner under guilt, but as righteous in the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, which beſpeakes him Juſtified, that is, made juſt and righteous before God, by the imputation and making over Chriſts righteouſneſſe to him, as if righteous in his own perſon; upon which Act of God there is a full remiſſion of ſinne, as in the Text, and the believer is put into another ſtate, a ſtate of juſtification unto life through Ieſus Chriſt, Rom. 8.18. who before was in a ſtate of death and condemnation.

Before I ſpeak of that faith which, through grace, puts a ſoul in his pardoned and juſtified ſtate, I will breifly apply this to the Capacity of the weak.

1. It may informe and instruct you in this great Myſtery, that any ſinner that is ſaved muſt be thus juſtified, made righteous, by the obedience of Ieſus Chriſt; he muſt come to ſee the juſtice of God made up, his ſin ſatisfied for a price paid unto God, and this to be actually made over to him: as we ſhall preſently ſhew; Moſt of ſinners, 'tis to be feared, do not conſider this, that ſpeak of mercy, and pretend they hope in mercy, but are never convinc'd of the righteouſneſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, and what it is to paſſe from a ſtate of guilt to a ſtate of righteouſneſſe p. 153by Ieſus Chriſt, from a ſtate of condemnation, to a ſtate of juſtification; without which, there can be no ſalvation.

Oh be convinced, ſinners, of this great matter, of the neceſſity of the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, his obedience in fulfilling the Law to be made over to you, to be brought into a juſtified ſtate, or you can never have pardon of ſin, and be accepted with God: you can never ſtand before God, but in the righteouſneſs of Ieſus Chriſt. Say, If I do not get the righteouſneſs of Chriſt made mine: If I do not get thus juſtified, I muſt never expect pardon of my ſin, and acceptance of my poor ſoul at the great day of the Lord. This is the Work of the Spirit, to be ſavingly convinced of this, Ioh. 16.8. Oh look up to the Father for the Spirit thus to convince you not onelyonly of ſinne, and the damnableneſs and ſinfulneſs thereof, but of your infinite need to get, not onelyonly ſome general hope of mercy and pardon, but the righteouſneſs of the Son of God, to bring you into a ſtate of pardon, reconciliation, peace, with God.

2. It may further clear unto you, that your juſtification before God is not within you, but without you, wrought forth by Ieſus Chriſt, for ſuch as are, or ſhall be called by grace, and imputed to them, not inherent, or wrought in them: 'Tis not grace in you, that doth or can juſtifie you, though renewing grace ſhall be wrought in all that are ſo pardoned and juſtified. Therefore, though thou muſt be changed in thy ſelf, pray and be holy, and obey God in all things; yet canſt thou not be hereby juſtified, but ſtill thy juſtifying righteouſneſs is in Chriſt, and not in thy ſelf, as the onelyonly procuring-meritorious cauſe of pardon p. 154and peace with God, Ierem. 33.16. Iſa. 54. laſt.

3. The great queſtion therefore that ſhould come upon thy heart, is, Whether thou art in a ſtate of condemnation or juſtification. If not juſtified; thou art ſtill, as I have ſhewed, under the condemnation of the whole Law: nothing thou haſt yet done, or ſhalt ever be able to do, will ſtand between Wrath and Hell; and thy poor ſoul, till thou comeſt to be juſtified in the bloud and righteouſneſs of Ieſus Chriſt: Oh ſinners! ponder of this great thing that is now laid before you? Can you ſay from a Teſtimony within you? Oh! I was thus and thus, once under the reign, power, guilt, condemnation of ſin; but now, now (bleſſed be rich and free grace) I am waſhed, juſtified, in the Name of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt: See that Word, 1 Cor. 6.10, 11. And ſuch were ſome of you; but ye are waſhed, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified in the Name of our Lord Ieſus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Or, at leaſt, that I may ſpeak to poor weak willing trembling ſoules: Is this it that your ſoules are reſtleſs after? Oh that I were, that I were, in ſuch a bleſſed ſtate! Oh that I could but believingly ſay, the righteouſneſs of Ieſus Chriſt were mine, and that now I am, I am juſtified; Oh what peace, and ſweetneſs, and joy would fill my heart? Why Soul! If this be indeed the breathing of thy Soul, Ieſus Chriſt is thine, and thou art juſtified and pardoned, and God will at laſt give in unto thee (if thou continue to follow him) the ſenſe and comfort of it in thy poor Soul: OnelyOnly by the way take a Diſcovery or two of the reality of thy Heart in this matter.

p. 1551. If thy Soul, from a Spiritual Conviction, be under a real making out after juſtification by Ieſus Chriſt, then thou would'ſt alſo be as really ſanctified, be made holy. 'Twas as much in the purpoſe of God to call thee out of a ſtate of ſinne, and to ſanctifie thee, as to pardon and juſtifie thee, 1 Ep. John 5.6.

2. If thou art brought into a juſtified ſtate, thy ſoul making out after it, thou art made alive in the Spirit, Rom. 8.1. Thou art in Ieſus Chriſt, and wouldſt walk no more after the fleſh and the luſts thereof, but after the Spirit, Gal. 5.18. If ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law; namely, to condemn you, but are freed from the curſe of it: and verſe 23. Againſt ſuch there is no Law; that is, ſuch as would walk after the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and ſhew forth the fruit of the Spirit: And this is that which the Apoſtle intimateth, 1 Ep. Joh. 5.10. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the Witneſs in himſelf; namely, of the Spirit: So that every juſtified perſon hath the Spirit of Chriſt (according to the meaſure of the grace of God) dwelling in him, is quickned in the Spirit, being once dead, prays in the Spirit, mortifies ſin through the Spirit, is taught by the Spirit, and ſo in all other ſaving and ſanctifying vertues of it: If it be not thus with thee, thou, as yet, haſt no part in this bleſſedneſs, but art under condemnation unto death. And therefore, ſinner, come before God in the ſenſe of thy condemned eſtate, and give up thy ſelf to Jeſus Chriſt, to be waſhed, juſtified, ſanctified; and then bleſſed for ever.

p. 1563. Let called and ſanctified Believers labour to live in the ſenſe of a pardoned-juſtified ſtate, that God is not off and on with them, in the matter of juſtification, though it may be ſometimes darkned and clouded, as to the evidence of it. Oh! do you labour to preſerve the ſenſe, and ſweet and bleſſed peace of it in your ſouls, & give glory to the riches of grace; for, now there is No, No, condemnation to you; you are paſſed from Death to Life, and the Bleſſed God imputes no ſin unto you: Let this be the higheſt and ſtrongeſt Argument to Holineſs, and love to the glory that poſſibly may be; and if indeed you walk in the comfort of it, it will be ſo unto you.

OnelyOnly let me give caution here to young Converts, whoſe hearts, at the firſt diſcovery of the free and glorious grace of the Goſpel, and of Ieſus Chriſt, are wonderfully taken and affected with it; but after a time, are apt to want on with it, (unleſs the firſt humiliation be the deeper) and to wax ſleight in Duties, and ſo their Luſts recover ſtrength again, and return upon them; and either they fall, or are near unto it, to the freſh wounding of their Soules. This hath been the condition of many; therefore be well caution'd in it, and walk with fear in the midſt of your joyous apprehenſions of the ſweetneſs of grace, and the endearing love of the Lord Ieſus to you.

Having briefly ſhewed what the nature of juſtification is, what it is to be in a juſtifyed ſtate before God, I now come to open more particularly how a Soul comes to be partaker of this juſtification, through the redemption of Ieſus Chriſt; namely, Through Faith in his bloud, ver. 25. of this 3d of Rom.

p. 157Obſerv. As God, through Free-grace, hath ſet forth Ieſus Chriſt to work forth Redemption for ſinners; ſo there muſt be a ſpecial believing on, and applying the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt for the forgiveneſs of ſins, by every one that is ſaved.

Therefore juſtification is attributed to Faith, Rom. 5.1. Therefore being juſtified by Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. So Gal. 2.16. & 3.11. In all which places, Faith is put in oppoſition to the Works of the Law. And ſo the righteouſneſs of Chriſt is called the righteouſneſs of Faith, Rom. 9.30. & 10.6. in oppoſition to righteouſneſſe by Works: Not as if Faith were the matter of our juſtification, that it did, as an Act or Work in the Soul, juſtifie before God; but that God doth thus make over the bloud and righteouſneſs of Ieſus Chriſt to a Soul, by inabling the Soul to come unto, to take hold of, to apply to it ſelf, to appropriate the merit of the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt for its own Redemption and Salvation, which may afford us a plain Deſcription of juſtifying Faith, preciſely conſidered; namely,

Faith is a work of the Holy Ghoſt, in the Soul, inabling it to appropriate, or apply to it ſelf the bloud and righteouſneſs of Ieſus Chriſt for the remiſſion of ſin, and its juſtification unto eternal life.

So it is called, the work of Faith with power, 2 Theſ. 1.11. and 'tis expreſſed by receiving of Ieſus Chriſt, Joh. 1. and believing on his Name, coming unto him, resting upon him: So that, plainly, Faith is a going out to, believing in, truſting on another; namely, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt: for what it can never be able to p. 158find or bring about in or by it ſelf; which may lead us to the more particular way of the Holy Ghoſt's working this power in the ſoul, in the ſaved ones of God.

1. In the working of Faith in the ſoul, it is firſt brought to ſee an impoſſibility of coming to God, as in its ſelf, or by its ſelf, concluded under an utter unability to pacifie God, or make up a righreouſneſs in it ſelf, to get acceſs with God. The ſoul is emptyed from veſſell to veſſell, till all the things that it counted gain before, become loſſe for Jeſus Chriſt; This is the firſt work of the Spirit, it emptyes a poor ſinfull Creature of all its refuges, all its dependencyes, all its ſufficiencyes, and ſo becomes naked in its guilt before God, and therefore is brought to this, that its acceptance to God, (if ever it be accepted), muſt be out of its ſelf; what ever become of him, he muſt periſh as in himſelf.

2. In the work of ſaith, The ſoul is brought to ſee that this was the end of the Revelation of Jeſus Chriſt, of Gods ſetting him forth to be a propitiation, that he might work forth Redemption and Righteouſneſſe for ſome, that this is a way of Gods own ordaining, Jeſus Chriſt was ſet forth for this very end, even by God himſelf, and therefore the ſoul is brought to this concluſion, to venture the iſſue of its life, and eternall ſalvation upon it; and ſo throwes it ſelf, as in a ſinking condition, upon the the grace, blood, righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt, ſink or ſwim, live or periſh, ſaved or damned, there the ſoul caſts Anchor, there it pitcheth, to this it will ſtand or fall before the righteous God; If there be not enough in the blood of Jeſus, to give it acceptance p. 159with God, the ſoul reſolves, to Hell it muſt and will; There, ſaith a poor ſelf-emptyed ſoul, I caſt even away my ſelf (if it might be) upon it, Phil. 3.9.

3. The ſoul is brought on to believe the report, that God in his word makes concerning his Son Jeſus Chriſt, and of the price, value, merit, and all-ſufficiency of his blood to ſave a poor ſinner, even to the utmoſt, that comes to God by him, Heb. 7.25. to anſwer all the wants and diſtreſſes of a poor ſoul, namely, in pacifying the Juſtice of God, fulfilling the Law, making atonement, removing guilt, procuring remiſſion of ſins, reconciling to God, Rom. 5.9, 10. Much more being now juſtified by his blood, we ſhall be ſaved from wrath through him; For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we ſhall be ſaved by his Life; In all which things, the ſoul is enabled to believe the report of the Goſpell, that the blood and death of Jeſus Chriſt, can do all this for poor ſinners that ſhall pitch upon it.

4. In this working of faith, the ſoul comes to ſee and faſten upon an abſolute unlimited Free promiſe, where any ſinner, that will, may come to Jeſus Chriſt, and ſo have the vertue, of his death and blood applyed to it; and therefore that he as well as any other ſinner in the world may come to him, and make claime to his blood, and plead it before God; whoſoever will, let him come; Rev. 22. Now ſaith a poor ſelf-emptyed ſinner, I do not find that I am any where excluded, but invited and called upon, to come to the Lord Jeſus, and claime an intereſt in his blood, and that I may plead it even at the throne of his juſtice, and that I may warrantably, p. 160ſafely, upon good grounds, given out from the mouth of God himſelf, take hold of the Lord Jeſus in ſuch a promiſe, and there is no ſin, or unworthineſſe can exclude me, unleſſe I will frowardly and wretchedly exclude my ſelf; I do not find, ſaith a poor ſoul, that any ſin is too great for the ſacrifice of that blood of Jeſus, ſo the ſinner will come to it, yea, that 'tis the greateſt ſin, and the top of condemnation, not to come to it; that I more injure God, by ſtanding off from Jeſus Chriſt, then by all the filthineſſe, blaſphemies, ungodlineſſes, my ſoul ever wallowed in, Heb. 10.29. The blood of Chriſt is a price ſufficient for the ſins of the whole world, therefore, ſaith a poor ſoul, For mine; He is the Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſins of the world, therefore he can take away mine; and I am freely call'd and invited to it, and tis my rebellion not to come, what can I have more? And ſo ſenſe of peace and reconciliation falls in upon the Soul.

5. The ſoul by its often renewing of ſuch Acts of believing, comes at laſt to ſee the blood of Jeſus Chriſt appropriated to him; now it can ſtay it ſelf upon the word of promiſe; and can ſometimes rejoyce in believing. If I rolle my ſelf upon the blood of Jeſus, I have the word of God for it, that I ſhall be ſaved; we ſhall be ſaved from wrath through him; not, it may be, but, we ſhall be ſaved, and all upon the account of being juſtified by his blood, Rom. 5.9. which juſtification ariſeth upon this believing we have mention'd.

p. 161Thus have I opened the nature of faith, as it is preciſely juſtifying, as it applyes and appropriates the blood and righteouſneſſe of the Lord Jeſus, for remiſſion of ſins, and Juſtification unto eternall Life; I might inſiſt upon the diſcovery of the effectuall operations of faith in the ſoul; as may diſtinguiſh it from a mere belief of the Hiſtory of the death of Jeſus Chriſt; take two or three.

1. When the ſoul, by faith, doth act upon the blood of Jeſus Chriſt for juſtification, it doth alſo bring the power and efficacy of it, for the purging of the ſoul, Heb. 9.14. How much more ſhall the blood of Christ, who through the eternall Spirit, offer'd himſelf without ſpot to God, purge your conſcience from dead works to ſerve the Living God; So Act. 15.9. Purifying your hearts by faith. There is a purifying vertue in the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, upon the ſouls of believers; They are for the purging away the filth, as well as the guilt of ſin; There's no believing ſoul but cryes out, Purge me, Oh Lord, purge me, and thoroughly, from my filth.

2. The ſoul hath a ſecret, yet reall fellowſhip, with the death of Jeſus Chriſt, to crucifie and deſtroy the body of ſin, in a juſtified believer which ariſeth from its union with Chriſt, Rom. 6.5, 6. For if we have bin planted together in the likeneſs of his death, we ſhall be alſo in the likeneſſe of his Reſurrection; knowing that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of ſin might, be deſtroyed, that henceforth we ſhould not ſerve ſin. Every true believer can really ſay, I am, or I, would be, Crucified with Chriſt, Gal. 2.20. Which the Apoſtle there brings in, as an effect of Juſtification by faith.

p. 1623. Every juſtified believer looks upon this, as one great end of his Juſtification, that he might live to God, Gal. 2.19.— That I might live unto God; Likewiſe reckon ye your ſelves to be dead indeed unto him, but alive unto God through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, Rom. 6.11. Every juſtified believer doth thus reckon of himſelf, I am to be dead to ſin, but alive to God, I am to yeild my ſelf to God, verſe 13. To have my fruit unto holineſſe, verſe 22.

4. Faith that juſtifies, doth, through the Spirit, work the ſoul to Goſpel-obedience, to all the Lawes and Ordinances of Jeſus of Chriſt, which ſhall be revealed to be the will Chriſt; from the Command of Jeſus Chriſt, and from a principle of love to Jeſus Chriſt; John 15.10.

5. A Juſtified believer will deny himſelf for Chriſt, take up his croſſe and follow Him: let any ſufferings be propoſed to a called believer, and let him know it is for Jeſus Chriſt, and that ſoul (unleſſe under a temporary deſertion or temptation) will chooſe and embrace thoſe ſufferings, and undergo them with ſome chearfulneſſe, Luk. 14.26, 27.

6. Every juſtified believer, hath a marriage-union with Jeſus Christ, Epheſ. 5.25, 26, 32. The ſoul hath choſen Jeſus Chriſt, having broken off from all other lovers, hath betrothed it ſelf unto Chriſt, in an everlaſting bond and Covenant, hath given it ſelf to Chriſt; As Jeſus Chriſt beſtowes himſelf and all he hath upon the ſoul, ſo doth the ſoul beſtow it ſelf, and all it hath upon Jeſus Chriſt, and having ſo done reſolves to be contented with him in every condition; whom have I in heaven but thee? and none in earth in Compariſon of thee, ſaith every gracious Believer.

p. 1637. Every juſtified believer lives by his faith, Gal. 2.20. lives upon Jeſus Chriſt for all, and fetcheth all from him, ſees him as a treaſury of all grace, hath recourſe unto him, this being the moſt proper Act of Faith, to make the ſoul live out of its ſelf, upon another, namely, Jeſus Chriſt for all.

8. Faith, that entitles the Soul to Jeſus Chriſt, works by love to all Saints, Gal. 5.6. When the Soul cloſeth with Jeſus Chriſt, it will alſo cloſe with his Diſciples, as diſtinguiſht from carnal, unſavoury, dead Profeſſors. What makes the living among the dead? A living Soul, alive in Chriſt, highly priſeth fellowſhip with ſuch as are alive.

I might name many more particulars; but theſe may ſuffice, as the moſt diſtinguiſhing.

1. Let what hath been ſpoken, ſerve to diſcover to you, Whether you have a Faith that doth entitle you to the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt, and the forgiveneſs of your ſins. Can you ſay, your Soules are carryed out after more purging, and 'tis your daily cry to Heaven? Can you ſay, that you are often crucifying with Jeſus Chriſt? And oh that I were, that I were but crucified with Jeſus Chriſt, that I might reckon of my ſelf as dead to ſinne! And oh that I might live to God, and might walk in Goſpel-obedience! That I might throughly deny my ſelf for Jeſus Chriſt, and chooſe to ſuffer with him, and for him. Oh I would more clearly ſee the Marriage-union between Chriſt and my poor Soul▪ I would, I do, beſtow my ſelf upon him, and all that's mine; I do give my ſelf to him; I will be contented with him here, and for ever: Whom have I, whom have I, but him? p. 164Oh have you found, in ſome good degree, ſuch Workings of heart towards Jeſus Chriſt! And do you live by your Faith, upon Chriſt, upon Promiſes? and do you maintain your Souls this way: And do you love, and delight in, the Fellowſhip of living ſoules, ſavoury ſoules; or do you, at leaſt, long that you may have opportunity to do ſo? If you cannot, in ſome meaſure, experience theſe things, your Faith is a dead empty Speculation; ſuch a Faith that is ſo far from uniting you to Chriſt, that indeed it keeps you on this ſide Jeſus Chriſt: And therefore ſay of it, 'tis a Faith that is in vain, that keeps me dead in my ſins: Oh therefore, ſay in thy Heart, I will now wait on the Word, the Miniſtration of it, that is ordained of God to beget Faith; I will go and pray the Father to draw me to Jeſus Chriſt, and that my ſoul may be united to him, that I may have Fellowſhip in his Death and Reſurrection; that I may be made alive unto God, that I may feel the pacifying-purging vertue of the bloud of the Lord Jeſus upon my poor Soul.

By what hath been ſaid, Believers may try their Faith; and if they find their Soules to have experienced theſe things, they may take comfort that they are juſtifyed by Faith in the bloud of Jeſus, and therefore ſhall be ſaved by his Life.

To wind up all in a word of Exhortation.

If God hath ſet forth Ieſus Chriſt to be a propitiation, that through Faith, in his bloud, a ſinner may become justified from his ſinne, then what encouragement is here for ſinners to come to him, and believe on his Name, to venture the iſſue of Eternal Salvation upon him, ſince God himſelf hath ſet him forth. p. 165For that end and purpoſe, that ſinners might come unto him, and be waſhed, juſtified, ſaved from their ſins. 'Tis not then to be doubted, but that God as he hath therein taken care for the Salvation of the ſinner, ſo for the glory of his own righteouſneſs: ſo that the ſinner hath no reaſon to doubt, that comes to Jeſus in the way propoſed; but that God can take pleaſure to accept of him through the bloud of Jeſus. 'Twas the moſt deliberate Act that ever the Wiſdom of God was taken up about, the ſetting forth of Jeſus Chriſt, to be the Saviour of ſinners through his bloud: 'Twas the firſt Foundation that God ſaid from all Eternity; and after he had promiſed Jeſus Chriſt, it was ſome thouſands of years before he ſet him forth to the World: and therefore God cannot repent nor change his mind, & purpoſe, as to accepting, pardoning, juſtifying, ſanctifying poor ſinners, that caſt their ſouls upon it, by the bloud of his Son Jeſus Chriſt. Upon which it is, that bleſſed Souls are brought in, in the Scriptures, magnifying the grace of God for their cleanſing by the bloud of Jeſus, 1 Joh. 1.7. The blood of Jeſus Chriſt cleanſeth us from all ſinne: So are the Saints brought forth tryumphing, Rev. 5.9. Thou waſt ſlain, and haſt redeemed us to God by thy bloud: And Chap. 7.14. Theſe are they who have waſhed their Robes, and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. Therefore, I ſay, with what boldneſs may poor ſinners come unto it? and how certainly, are they in Gods way to Salvation? in which way, bleſſed ſouls have been ever found, and none did ever miſs of this end, the Salvation of their Soules.

p. 166I have now diſpatcht what I ſhall ſpeak at this time, as to the Doctrine of Juſtification, by the Free-grace of God, through the righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, and of Saving-Faith therein, and ſhall commit it to the Lord to work it upon the Conſcience; I ſhall a little inſiſt upon the laſt verſe, in the removal of that Objection, which the Heart puts up, againſt this bleſſed Truth.