THE Fountain Opened: OR, The Great Gospel Privilege of having CHRIST exhibited to Sinful Men. WHEREIN Also is proved that there shall be a National Calling of the JEWS From Zech. XIII. 1.  
By Samuel Willard, Teacher of a Church in Boston.  1 Cor. 2. 2. 
I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, & him crucified.  Si Christum discis, satis est si caetera nescis. 
Boston in New-England, Printed by B. Green, and I. Allen, for Samuel Sewall Junior 1700.   

To the READER.  
SUCH is the fullness of Sufficiency in Christ, that no words can enough express it: for which reason the Holy Scriptures set him forth under the shadow of many Metaphors, which require a Spiritual improvement; all of which put together make up but a dark & deficient description of him: and yet every one of them Commends him to us as an Object worthy of our Love & Trust, inasmuch as they represent him one every way furnished to answer all our wants, which can not where else be supplied; and, but for whom we must needs have perished in them. The following Sermons set him forth as a Fountain, and such an one as is Opened to miserable men, together with those Virtues which do more eminently flow from him as such, for the abundant supply of all those that partake in him: and withal it gives us the comfortable notice of a more peculiar & glorious Revelation and Application of it, to be made in these last days. If thou hast known, what it is to be in a dry and thirsty land, where no Water is, this will be good News to thee. If thou hungrest and thirstest after Righteousness, this will give thee direction. If thou hast ever tasted that he is gracious, thou wilt here find Refreshment. If thou art at a loss about the dark Providences which are upon the Christian World, thou wilt here find matter of encouragement, in prospect of the better Times wherein this Fountain will be wonderfully exhibited.  
Touching the Sermon that is subjoined to this short Treatise, I need not to apologise for the Seasonableness of Publishing it, unto such as understand the Genius of the Age we live in. If any thing in these Papers may serve to win Souls to CHRIST, and confirm his Redeemed in their Love of Him, and promove Evangelical Holiness, I have my desire. To his Blessing then I Commend them and thee, Who am  
Thy Servant for Christ's sake, Samuel Willard.   

THE Fountain Opened, etc.  ZECH. XIII. 1. In that day there shall be a Fountain Opened to the House of David, and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, for Si●, and for Uncleanness. 
ZEchariah was one of those Extraordinary Prophets whom God raised up and sent to the Jews, after their return from Babylon. He was contemporary with Haggai, and began his Ministry about two months' later, in the Reign of that Darius who encouraged and set forward the building of the Temple; to the pursuit of which affair, these two Prophets did jointly stir up and animate the People of God. Who this Zechariah was, and to what Tribe and Family he belonged, we are at a loss, his Genealogy being only reckoned up to his Grandfather, of whose Stock there is no mention made elsewhere in the Old Testament: only this I suppose is beyond just dispute, that he is the same whom these Jews did barbarously murder, for his faithful reproofs given them, and denouncing of God's Righteous Threaten against them for their sins; which added to their guilt, and is articled against their Posterity by Christ himself, in Mat. 23. 35. This Book is partly Doctrinal, partly Visional. In the Visional part o● it he gives an account of all the Changes or Revolutions which were to pass over the Jewish Nation, till, for their sins, and more particularly, for their despising of Christ, and the Salyation by him offered to them, they should be laid desolate; and so abide, till such time as God should again graciously call them: and there are interwoven the Predictions of the Judgements of God on other Nations, so far as they concerned his deal with this people. Divers of these Visions are exceeding mysterious, and the harder to be understood by us, not only because of the depth of the Allegories used, and the intermixing of things fore signified by way of anticipation; but also because they are not as yet accomplished: And here we are more especially to observe those Prophecies which point to the Calling of the Jews to Christ, and the Spiritual Glory of that time, which is more than once hinted at in this Book: as also the ●●lling of the Gentiles, and the wonderful enlarging of the Grace of God to other Nations. To make the way clear to the words of our Text, let us observe, that at the beginning of Chap. 12. Our Prophet predicts an happy and glorious Estate which God will in due time restore Jerusalem unto, and he indigita●es a special appointed season in which this should eminently be accomplished: and therefore it is once and again called▪ That ●ay, as it were with an Asterism set upon it. To what day, or article of time this Prophecy partie●larly points, is matter of debate, as also whether the Jewish Nation, and literal Jerusalem be at all aimed at in it. That Gospel Times are pointed to, is very evident by several passages which might be observed in the Context: or the time after which Christ had been put to death by this people: and that some notable gracious dispensation towards God's ancient people is aimed at nextly therein, is, I am persuaded, without doubt; though others also may be comprised in it. Some Expositors, not only re●er, but restrain it to those notable Conversions of the Jews on the Preaching of the Apostles, which are recorded in, Acts 2. & 4. But though there may be accounted then to have been a Specimen, or an earnest of it, yet the lofty expressions that are here used about it, and also the extensiveness of the work mentioned, say that there h●th not as yet been a full performance of it, but that it is to be waited for, when that General Calling in of the Jews shall Commence, of which we have a satisfying account in Rom. 11. In Chap. 12. 10. God, by the Prophet, tells us how he will prepare his people for such great favours, viz. he will bring them to a true and cordial mourning for the affronts which they had offered to the Lord Jesus Christ, in crucifying of him; and that both universal and particular: and thereupon he proceeds to enumerate several spiritual benefits which shall ensue; the first whereof that is mentioned, is this in our Text, and it is a very comprehensive one. The words than are a gracious New-Covenant Promise, of a singular benefit to be bestowed on the Church of God in Gospel Times, and upon every true penitent in it; and particularly on the Jews, when he shall come to call them home to himself. In them we may observe,  
1. The benefit itself which is promised: A Fountain.  
2. The singular mercy that should be discovered in regard of this benefit, it shall be Opened.  
3. The Subjects to whom this benefit should be applied; to the House of David, and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem.  
4. The design of it, or that wherein the great usefulness of it should appear, it is for Sin, and for Uncleanness.  
5. The time when this should be, in that Day.  
Give me leave to make a brief paraphrase on this sweet Text, which comprehends in it the sum and substance of all Gospel Grace. In that day] i. e. The day which is once and again mentioned in the foregoing Chapter. The day wherein God will return to Zion, and have mercy upon her, and build up her waste places. It is true, this benefit hath belonged to the true Church of God, ever since the Promise of the Seed of the Woman was made; but there are special times wherein there are more eminent manifestations of Divine favours to the people of God, which God would have remarked by them: and so this hath a respect to that happy time which is expected by the Church of God, when all Israel shall be saved. But that which I would more peculiarly observe, for our own improvement is, it is the day wherein the Spirit of mourning and Supplication shall be poured upon them; when God shall bring them to true sorrow for Sin, and penitent addresses unto him for peace and pardon: and so it shows the order and way of Gods communicating of this great favour to them. There shall be a Fountain] The word, fountain cometh of a root that signifies, to dig for a spring of water; and in one Conjugation, to  
flow over abundantly: and doubtless, Christ himself, in respect of his blood, or obedience and me it, is intended by it; as will afterwards be observed. Opened] A thing is said to be opened, that was before shut or covered; the word is also used for the making of a thing manifest, which was before hidden, or not known, we therefore read of the opening of waters, the opening of treasures, or the unlocking of them, the opening of doors; and a noun from this root, signifieth, a door. In sum, a thing is then opened when it is exposed, and laid before persons, and they have the free liberty given them to come and make use of it. We are not here told who will open it, but it must needs intent a work of the Spirit of God, who is the revealer and applier of Christ and his benefits unto men. To the House of David, and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem] By these we may understand those that are the people of God, the seed of Christ, for he is the true David, and the Members of the Mystical Body of Christ, for these are the Inhabitants of Jerusalem. It may also intent all ranks of men: the House of David, may have respect to the Rulers and Nobles, & the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the meaner sort. For Sin, and for Uncleanness] The word, Sin, signifies any Error, or turning out of the right way: The word Uncleanness, properly signifies something that is removed, and is used in the Levetical Law, for such things are were separated, by reason of Ceremonial pollution, and might not be touched. When he saith this ●●untain is for sin, and for uncleanness, he intends that it is designed for the taking of them away, and this is done both in Justification and ●n Sanctification, as will afterward be observed. And under these two words are comprehended ●ll sorts and degrees of sin: the least error ●ands in need of it; and the greatest Pollution may be cleansed by it.  
There are several precious truths contained ● this portion of Scripture, which I shall make ●ome remarks upon.  

DOCTRINE I. That Jesus Christ is a Fountain of saving Good.  
WHat is nextly intended by this fountain, Commentators do variously guests; ●ome apply it to the Grace of God, some to ●e Holy Ghost, some to the Gospel itself: ●nd some to Baptism, or to both of the Sacraments of the New Testament. But all agree ●hat it ultimately refers to Christ, as he in whom all that Grace which is provided for ●he relief of sinful man, is treasured up as in a ●untain, according to, Col 1. 19 It pleased the ●ather, that in him should all fullness dwell. This ●en is one of the precious Titles of Christ; & it is Metaphorical or allusive, pointing us to th● consideration of an earthly thing, and such a● is well known, for our help in the contemplation of him, and the great benefit that accrueth by him to his people. In the dearing up of this Doctrine, three things may be inquired into, viz.  

1. In what respect Christ is a fountain?  
2. What is that saving good that is fountained in him?  
3. How he comes to be such a fountain?   
1. In what respect Christ is a fountain?  
A. The word, fountain, may be considere● in a double sense; either only as a Metaphor alluding to the repository in which waters a● contained, and from which they issue; or els● with the addition of a Metonymy, with respect unto the waters that are contained in it; an● both these are applicable to the Text: Th● former of these belongs to this enquiry, an● the latter to the next. As then a fountain is ● repository which God hath, in the work o● Creation, provided for the treasuring up o● waters in, so is Christ a Storehouse of al● Grace, in whom it is laid up. And there an● several respects in which he is thus compare● to a fountain, and hath this Title put upo● him; more especially,  
1. A fountain is so called▪ from the Plenty of waters that are in it. There is a great fullness i● a Fountain. Cisterns have but a little in them small Springs, that are but little veins in the earth, do vent but a little water, because they have not much in them; but a fountain hath abundance in it, it is a vast treasury; there is no want in a fountain, but there may▪ come as many as will to it, and have a full supply of water from it; and such a fountain of Grace is Jesus Christ to his people; for this reason is he said to be full of Grace and Truth, Joh. 1. 14. And all the people of God are said to receive out of his Fullness, verse 16. and because of this abounding sufficiency of his, those that fear him are said to have no want of any good thing, Psal. 34. 9 And believers are said to receive abundance of grace from him, Rom. 5. 17. Hence we are told in Isa. 33. 21. The glorious Lord will be to us a place of broad rivers and streams.  
2. A fountain is so called from the Quality of the waters in it. The waters of a fountain are very much different from those that are in a pool or cistern; and there are two titles that are put upon them in this regard.  
1. They are called living waters. Hence we have such allusive expressions, Cant. 4. 15. A Well of living waters. Rev. 7. 17. And shall lead them to living fountains of water. Not that they properly have a principle of life, or a living Soul in them (for they are not in the order of Animates) but Metaphorically, in that they have something resembling life, because they run, and overflow, and purg● themselves, and have a continual motion. A● also from the efficacy of them, because they are salubrious, and very serviceable for the preservation of the life of the Creature. Thus is Christ in respect of his Graces compared to a fountain, Jer. 2. 13. Ye have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and the Graces which he communicates from himself to such as come unto him, have that Epithet given to them, because they do revive, or give and continue life to them who partake in them; see for this, Joh. 4. 10. He would have given thee living water; and 7. 38. He that believeth in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; and on this account the Psalmist asc●ibes that to him, Psal. 36 9 With thee is the fountain of life.  
2. They are called clear and pure waters. And this follows from the former; for being living, they purge themselves, and always keep clean; A Ci●tern, or pond, or Well, are ap● to gather filth by standing, and to grow corrupt, and to be often disturbed; but a Fountain is clean and pure. Accordingly we have the Spirit of God, in a●●usion to this, describing the fountain o● Grace which God hath provided for his Church, Rev. 22 1▪ He shown me a pure river of 〈◊〉 of li●e, clear as crystal Such i● Christ, and 〈◊〉 a●e all his benefits 〈◊〉 are holy, and there is no defilement in them.  
3. A fountain is so called from the Diffusiveness of its waters. The waters in a Well, or a Pond, are shut up, and they move not; but are confined to one place; they are standing: but a fountain is ever running over its banks, and spreading itself far and near, imparting of itself in its streams. Hence we so often read of running waters in the Scriptures. Such also is Christ in respect of his Grace. We have an Allegorical description given of this in Ezek. 47. begin. in those waters of the Sanctuary, which ran from the south side of the Altar, and increased as they went along; which point ●o that we are now considering of. A fountain may be conveyed in streams to many places, for the supply of such as want it: and Christ conveys his Grace here and there; and ●here is never a street in the City of God but ● abundantly refreshed with it.  
4. A fountain is so called from the Perennity of ●. The waters in a Cistern or pool, waste ●ith using, and may be emptied in time, if constantly repaired to, yea and the waters in ●hem will dry up by degrees; but a fountain ●ever full, and hath a fresh supply coming in, ● fast as any is drawn out of it, or conveyed ●●om it: if ten thousand should come to it, ●●ey may fill all their vessels, and yet there is ●o want, nor any missing, but ten thousand ●ore may come after them, and have equal apply. Such is Christ in respect to his Grace; hence all that are a thirst are invited to him; Isa. 55. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth come to the waters; and we are bidden to enlarge our vessels, and yet we shall be replenished, Psal. 81. 9 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it; and God hath assured us▪ Isa. 45. 19 I said not to the Seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain.  
2. What is that saving good that is fountained in him?  
A. We observed, that a fountain is properly a receptacle of waters, and therefore is Metonymically put for the waters themselves that are in it; and we may here keep to the allusion. Water is one of those things that are necessary for the life of man, and afford a manifold benefit unto it; it quencheth the thirst it revives the spirits, it comforts the man, it cools and refresheth the body▪ it is of use also for cleansing or purisying both the body, and such things as are for its use and comfort: and indeed such is the usefulness of this Element, that the want of it makes the man miserable▪ and if he be not supplied with it, he will unavoidably perish. It is therefore reckoned for a singular advantage and happiness to dwell near a fountain of water▪ as Isa. 33. 16. Hi● waters shall be sure; and Chap. 32. 20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters. Now that which is here alluded to in this comparison is whatsoever benefit derives from Christ to the Souls of men, for the helping them to obtain Eternal Life. These waters comprehend under them, Grace, and Glory, and every good thing, Psal 84. 11. peculiarly the Graces of his Spirit are here pointed to, and therefore we have such an expression in, Joh. 1. 16. Of his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. The benefit of which is excellent, and manifold: without it we must needs perish; from and by it derives to us all that is necessary or desirable. There is pardon of Sin, peace with God, Sonship, Sanctification, and Consolation: the most comprehensive of which will be particularly considered of under a following Doctrine. But it is certain that all these are laid up in Christ, and flow from him to his People, as waters do out of a fountain; and are not where else to be had.  
3. How he came to be such a fountain?  
A. This flows from his Mediator-ship, and may be traced in these four particulars.  
1. Man's Apostasy had cut him off from God as the fountain of life to him. All man's happiness is fountained in God, and must derive from him by way of participation. He was at first, in his state of Integrity, planted by this fountain, had free access to it, and could refresh himself at all times with it; the streams of it ran down freely on him: but when he sinned against God, ●hat made a woeful separation, so God tells them, Isa. 59 2. Your sins have separated between you and your God; and since then, that is a proper 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 men in their natural state, Psal. 73 27. They that are far from thee. God is no longer his portion; of a friend he is become his enemy; all those Glorious Attributes which when for him, would have filled him with satisfaction, are now armed against him, and become a terror to him, being ready to destroy him: and if this be not retrieved he cannot escape perdition.  
2. God's free Grace constituted Christ in the Office of a Mediator, that he might procure life and happiness again for man. Sin had brought man under the Gild of Death, binding him over to suffer-eternal vengeance. God's Justice was now. engaged to execute an holy revenge upon him, for the affront which he had offered to his Law. This Justice must be satisfied; man can no more approach to God but by a Mediator, for without one, God is a consuming fire. God graciously resolves to bring some of that unhappy race back again to himself, and be a fountain of life unto them, and herein to manifest his rich Grace; for this end he appointed his own Son to become man, and in our nature to bring about an Atonement, by reconciling God and man one to another and procuring a Redemption for us; for this he put Christ into his Office, and indented with him in the Days of Eternity: 〈◊〉 counsel of peace is therefore said to be between them both, Zech. 6. 13.  
3. Christ, by his satisfactory Obedience, purchased and laid in all that was needful for the Salvation of man. Had not God put him into Office, and Commissioned him for this, all his Obedience had been insignificant: for, not only or merely the value, but the Acceptance of it for us, made it a purchase: and yet had ●t not been valuable, it would not have done, because Justice and Mercy could not otherwise have agreed in our Salvation, as they must, Psal▪ 85 10. Mercy and Truth are met together, Justice and Peace have kissed each other. But Christ bought us at a valuable price, 1 Cor. 16. 12. Ye are bought with a Price; and because his ●eath was more eminently concerned in this, ●ence it is peculiarly Attributed to his Blood▪ ● Pet 1. 18, 19 Ye are Redeemed, etc. with the ●ecious blood of Christ; and as he bought ●s ●ut of the hand of Revenging Justice, so he ●ought all that Inheritance fo● us, in which ●ur whole happiness is contained, which is ●alled the purchased Possession. Eph. 1, 14.  
4. Hence all this good is deposited in him, and ●e dispensation of it is committed unto him▪ As ●e was at the cost to procure it, so his Father ●ath betrusted him with the application of it; ●e is made the Store house or Treasure of it, is laid up in him, Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid ● the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: We ●●st go to this Heavenly Joseph if we would ●●ain it. God put not only a Priestly, but a Prophetical and Kingly Office on him; and now he leaves all to his management, and he gives eternal life according to his pleasure, John 5. 21, 22. The Son quickeneth whom he will; the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all Judgement to the Son. 17. 2. Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.  
USE I. For Information in two or three particulars▪  
1. Learn we hence the happiness of all those that have gotten an interest in Christ▪ All the Titl●● that are put upon him in the Word of God are to commend to us some excellent benefi● that flows from him to those that participate in him. Now, as Christ's Office is to convey saving mercies to us, so herein he appears glorious, in that they are all stored in him as in a fountain, and that he therefore is a fountain of them. How rich then are all they who are owners of this fountain, that dwell with him? Such are all true believers: these can never want; all that they can need is in him; and there is enough and to spare: this may turn the valley of Baca into a well, Psal 84: 6. Christ himself hath told us what is the privilege of those that believe in him, Joh. 7▪ 38 Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; and hence the●e is such blessedness pronounced on believers, Jer. 17. 8. H● shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and spreadeth out her root by the river, etc. Rejoice the● in this your lot, and envy not the world their broken cisterns, though they seem to be neve● so full.  
2. Here is good news to those thirsty Souls, that have sought for living waters, and found none elsewhere. When God awakens the Consciences of Sinners, and shows them something of the misery which they labour of, they are inquisitive where they may get a remedy; and they seek it at home and abroad, they go from hill to mountain in quest of it; they have gone to every pit, hoping to draw waters to refresh their Souls out of it, but they have come away empty and ashamed, and may possibly be ready to sit down and despair of ever finding any that will quench their thirst, and refresh their Souls: but be of good cheer, here is a true report made of a fountain of such waters as you need; there is none in the world, nor is there any in your own power: but there is enough in Christ; he is an infinite and inexhaustible fountain of it; and if there was no more to be said, yet here is encouragement to hope: if there were none at all, your case were then desperate; but if it be any where, and there be enough of it too, think then, I will not abandon hope, for who knows but that he may show me the favour, to give me to drink of these waters of life.  
3. This may answer their doubt who are afraid to come to Christ, by reason of the greatness of their sin & misery. When deep convictions of these do make them, instead of making the greater haste to Christ, to discourage themselves there▪ by from daring at all to come to him, their sins are too great to be forgiven them, their hearts are so hard, that there is no softnign of them, their debts are run up to ten thousand Talents, they have gone beyond the ordinary sort of Sinners; and sure there is no help in Christ for such as they are: Look now, he is a fountain, yea he is an immense and an incomprehensible fountain, whatsoever you want or can desire is to be supplied out of it to the utmost extent of your cravings, yea, indeed he came for that very end, that where sin hath abounded, Grace might much more abound, Rom. 5. 20. And is therefore furnished accordingly. Hence,  
USE II. Let it be to exhort and direct miserable Sinners; and such are all the Children of men in their natural estate, & till they are gotten into Christ, and interested in his Redemption. Be you then pointed hereby to come to Christ for all your supplies; make him your object, and address yourselves to him. Many arguments might here be used to press this advice; but I shall only offer two or three which are fetched from the Doctrine in hand.  
1. You must have a supply or you will perish. There is no living in the condition you are at present in; if you sit still you die unavoidably; your samishing Souls must have something to live upon, and that can be nothing else but these living waters, or you will faint and die. The whole Word of God will assure you of your woeful infelicity, which as long as you abide in your natural state, you labour of, and are perishing in: if therefore there be no supply to be had, you will sink under this distress, and be undone for ever; and surely such a thought as this, if duly meditated upon, cannot but▪ stir you up to inquire, and make you restless in seeking where and how you may obtain the supply, by which you may escape the woeful misery which is upon you.  
2 You will be miserably disappointed if you go my whither else for it. You will have many solicitours, who will say to you, Turn in hither, and will promise you fair; but all is a cheat; believe them not; if you will not be miserably disappointed. If you seek to the world, there is not one drop of the waters of life to be found in it, it hath nothing but poisoned waters, which, however they may please your carnal appetites, will not satisfy an immortal Soul. The World's Cup may intoxicate you, but it will never slack your thirst; man's misery began in his turning to it, Jer▪ 2. 13. They have dug to themselves broken ●●sterns that can hold no water. If you seek it in your own Righteousness, and take much pains in que●● of it by that course, it will deceive you; God expostulates thus with all that will not come to these waters, Isa. 55. 2. Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not?  
3. There is enough in Christ to answer all your wants. Let them be never so many, or never so great, yet know it that fountain hath an immense fullness in it, and can never be drawn dry: Millions of Souls have been satisfied at it▪ and it is still as full as ever, Eph. 3. 20▪ He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think: All other waters will dry up, but these never will, Isa. 58. 11. Thou shalt be like a watered Garden, and like a spring of waters, whose waters fail not. The Psalmist therefore presumes on this, Psal. 36. 8. Thou shalt make them to drink of the River of thy Pleasures.  
And for your Direction.  
1. Be affected with your own Necessity. The reason why this fountain is no more repaired unto, why Jesus Christ is so greatly neglected by the Children of men, is not because they have no need of him, but because they do not rightly resent their need. Were you in the case of those poor Lepers that sat in the gate of Samaria, of whom you read, in 2 Kings 7. begin. or of the poor Prodigal in his far Country, where he was ready to famish, Luke 15. You would soon bestir yourselves. Consider then what Sin hath made you; take the Word of God, and believe it, and there read what a forlorn condition you are in, starving, fainting, dying.  
2. Renounce all trust in broken cisterns, and seek to him alone for Supply. As long as you look elsewhere, he will not hear you; we are told, in Jon. 2. 6. They that embrace lying vanities, forsake their own mercies. And accordingly we are acquainted how it shall be, when God comes to be the portion of the Soul, Hos. 14. 8. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with Idols? And hence we are directed to come with a declared rejection of other objects, verse 2, 3. Ashur shall not save, etc. And one would think your own experience, how often you have been defeta●d in seeking to them, were enough to make you thus to do.  
3. Plead his ability, or sufficiency. Believe it, and let it be your encouragement, and make use of it in your petitions; argue with yourselves, as the Prodigal did, Luk. 15. 17. In my father's house is enough and to spare, and I perish; and let it make you to arise, and when you come, tell him, your thirsty Souls are ready to expire, and you can find nothing to refresh them; that he hath enough with him, and that he can afford it to you, and how it will be for the glory of his Grace thus to do, when he shall so save a perishing Soul, and make it a monument of his mercy and power to all Eternity.  
4. Now resign yourselves up to his mercy. Resolve that because you have found all the p●● in the World empty; and that here is a fu● fountain, able to supply you, you will go no● whither else, but wait for the communication of grace to you; acknowledging of his Supremacy, adventuring on his mercy; and beg of● him his Grace to establish this purpose in you▪ and fear not: this Fountain will open unto you: which is the next thing.   

DOCTRINE. II. Jesus Christ is an Opened fountain in the days of the Gospel.  
OUR Prophet is speaking of, and predicting about Gospel times, and tells us, that in that day there shall be a fountain Opened. Under the former Doctrine we had Christ commended to us as a fountain of saving good, whose fullness of all Grace and Goodness may invite the poor and needy Soul to repair to him, to have all its wants supplied: In this we have a farther commendation given him by the Epithet added, viz. That he is a Fountain Opened, which mightily adds to the encouragement of indigent ones to come to him. Under the former Metaphor he was exhibited as an All sufficient Saviour, and by this he is set forth as a free, ready and willing Saviour; that shows what he is in himself; this tells us what he▪ is willing to be to us, if we would so make use of him.  
In pursuit of this Doctrine we may inquire,  
1. What is included in the opening o● this Fountain?  
2. How it comes to be thus opened?  
3. In what respect it is said to be opened in the days of the Gospel?  
1. What is included in the opening of this Fountain?  
A. Opening and shutting are contraries; and when it is opened, it supposeth that before it was shut: either it was not known, or it was inaccessible. There is therefore a double opening of this fountain which is here inten●ed, viz  
1. By Revelation, or Discovery. A thing that is hidden or secret, is said to be shut, but when it is published or made known, than it is opened; and it is to be observed, that the discovery of this fountain is by Revelation: all the wisdom and understanding of Angels and men, which they had in them by nature, could never have found this out; natures light afforded not a key▪ to unlock this mystery: When it lay in the Cabinet of God's Eternal Counsel, it was a sealed thing, & there was no mere Creature that could open it; but God hath made known this glorious fountain, and set it forth manifestly before us. Now the things which God hath opened to us by it, are;  
1. That there is such a fountain provided for man's use. God had fore-appointed it in th● days of Eternity, and made it ready in th● fullness of time; but these things were in themselves secret, nor had man ever known that there is such a supply laid in for him, if God ha● not told him of it. God's counsel about it wa● in his own breast, and the way in which he effected it was so obscure, that man understood it not till he declared it. Who should tell man that God had so much good will for him, as to provide Salvation for him by a Redeemer when he had destroyed himself by sin? Go● only knew his own thoughts, and none coul● have guessed at them by any rational arguing● if he had not told them. When God sait● concerning the sinful creature, as Job 33. 24 Deliver him from going down to the pit, I hav● found a ransom. He than opens this Fountain●  
2. Where it is; and this is a further degree o● the opening of it. There is some support afforded to us, in being told that there is such ● thing; but then the proper enquiry will be Where is it? Except we be determined about our Object, we are still at a loss: but God hath pointed us here also, and told us who is the fountain, viz. Jesus Christ. He hath assured us where it is not, and given us the character of all the broken cisterns that we are ready to take up at, and told us where only the waters of life are to be had. Notwithstanding all the predictions which had been of Christ before, yet when he came he was not known; the World were prejudiced at him, yea and his own were at a loss about him; Isa. 52. 14. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men; and 53. 2. He hath no form or comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him: And Luke 24 21. We trusted that it had been he that should have redeemed Israel. He hath therefore pointed out the very person, and given us the characters in his Word whereby he may be known, and assured us that all Salvation is limited to him, Acts 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  
3. The fullness of sufficiency which there is in this fountain, and how he came by it. He hath declared all the virtues of it, and the efficacy there is in them: how Jesus Christ came to be a complete Saviour, and able to save to the uttermost, Heb. 7. 25. He is for this end laid forth in his Natures, in his Offices, and the whole work of Redemption which was wrought out by him; in the Covenant Engagements which there passed between his Father and him; and in the suitableness of what he hath done and undergone, for the answering of all that was requisite in order to our Salvation, and the acceptance which it found with the Father on this accounted These were dark and dubious things to the wisest of men, but he hath opened them clearly to us; 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24. We preach Christ Crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness, but to them which are called▪ Christ the wisdom of God, and the power of God▪  
4 The way wherein we may come at, and partake in this fountain We must come to it, i● ever we obtain life from it; hence that complaint, Joh. 5. 40. Ye will not come to me, that you might have life. There is therefore a way in which ●e may so come, and this man's reason and light could not have given him any direction about: it is therefore a great piece● of the natural man's misery, Rom. 3 17. The way of p●ace have they not known. This God hath opened to us in the New Covenant, by publishing the terms of it, viz Faith and Repentance, and showing us the fallacy of all the other ways which vain men have taken to obtain it, and miss in the end; Mic. 6. 8 He hath shown thee, O man, what is good. Now the way in which God hath discovered all this is in the Gospel, and by the Ordinances of it, 2 Tim. 1 10▪ Hath brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel. So that men need no longer to be a● a loss, nor 〈◊〉 from mountain to hill, seeking rest and finding n●ne▪  
2. By the Offers that are made of it, and the invitations given to men to come to it, whereby▪ they have a freedom of access. A thing is then said to be shut up, when it is enclosed, and there is no liberty of coming at it; when therefore it is exhibited and laid open, and all encouragement is offered to repair to it, it is then opened: so is this Fountain.  
Here let us observe.  
1. That God, together with discovering it, maketh large and universal offers of it to men He not only hath told us that there is such a thing, but hath invited men to come to it; hath told them what it is designed for, and bidden every one that hears of it, and is sensible of his own need, to come to it and partake of it, ●he offer of it is universal, Isa. 55. 1. Ho, every ●ne that thirsteth, come to the waters; he excep●eth none that are willing to come; nay, he ●ath put in to prevent discouragement in such ●s may be afraid by reason of aggravated sin ●nd guilt, Isa. 1. 18. Though your sins be as ●arlet, they shall be as white as snow 55. 7. Let ●he wicked forsake his way, etc. and turn to the ●ord for he will have mercy, and to our God, for ●e will abundantly pardon.  
2 He sends his Ambassadors to plead with ●en, & that with all urgency, that they will come ●● it. He enjoins them to use all argument's ●ith men, to show them their absolute need ●f it, that they must needs perish without it; ●● beg and pray them to accept of the Reconciliation; and to follow them from time to time with utmost importunity, according to 2 Cor. 5. 20. We are Ambassadors for Christ, ●● though God did beseech you by us: ●e pray you ●● Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God. Nor are they to be discouraged in the work, but to re● new the Treaty though sinful men do all they can to break it off.  
3. He makes the largest Promises to such as ●● come. How welcome he will make them how readily he will entertain them, and that notwithstanding all they have been and don● to provoke him to deal contrary with th●m they shall not lo●e their labour, but have ful● satisfaction given them, Mat 11. 28. Come u● to me, &c and I will give you rest, Rev. 3. 20. I will come in, and sup. with him, and he wi●● me; and he hath s●●d, that he will never cas● them out, Joh. 6. 37.  
2. How it comes to be thus opened?  
A. We may come at this in the following particulars.  
1. This fountain was provided on purpose for th● Salvation of undone Sinners. It was for the advancement of the riches of his Grace that Go● contrived it before time; and it was because sin had made man to stand in absolute need o● it that God revealed it to him in time, hence tha● Rom 5 6. When we were without strength, in due tim● Christ died for the ungodly; Gal. 4. 4. When th● fullness of time was come, God sent forth his So● etc. Had not. man plunged himself into misery, and helplessness in himself, or in the whole Creation, there had been no occasion for it. Hence we have Christ himself declaring the design of his coming in our nature, Mat. 9 13. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; and our Prophet acquaints us what the Blood of the Covenant was for, Zech. 9 11. By the Blood of thy Covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoner● out of the pit, where there is no water; and that blood was no other than what our Text and Doctrine call a fountain.  
2. That Sinners may obtain Salvation by it; they must partake in it. There must not only be a remedy suitable and sufficient provided, but there must be an application made of it, if ever the Creatures misery be removed by it. Let there be never so full a fountain, never so much plenty of living waters, yet if the▪ man do not drink of them, his thirsty Soul will not be satisfied therewith, but he must perish for all. It is not enough that there is a Christ who is able to give eternal life, who is able to save to the uttermost; but we must have him if we live by him, 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not ●he Son hath not life: Except the man drink of these waters they will never profit him; what else is the reason why so many perish, though there be enough in Christ to save the whole world? Christ himself hath told us a reason of it in regard of such as live under the Gospel, viz. they will not come to him that they may have life, Joh. 5. 40. For it is by participation in it, that the virtue of Christ's Redemption becomes ours.  
3. It is by being united to Christ by faith that they come to partake in him. Union with Christ is the foundation of Communion with him, and faith is the bond of that Union on our part: he must dwell in us, in order to his communicating of his saving benefits to us, and how that is we are told, Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. Hence the Apostle propounds that solemn case, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know you not your own selves, how that Christ is in you, except ye are reprobates? It is by faith that we receive Christ; unbelief shuts him out, and so hinders us of all saving good by him; if we believe not in him, we shall never receive the wa●ers of li●e from him.  
4. That they may thus believe in him, they must have him Opened to them. Faith is the act of a reasonable creature, and so it must have a ground for it, Paul can say. I know whom I have trusted, 2 Tim 1. 12 Hence,  
1. He must be opened by Revelation. There must be a discovery m●de o● him to and in● the Soul, by which it may be certified of his fullness and suitableness; that he is able to answer the Souls wants, and to supply its needs, to fill its cravings, and remedy its miseries: what else should move it to adventure its all upon him? it is therefore said, Psal. 9 10. They that know thy name will put their trust in thee; and in Rom 10. 14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?  
2. He ●ust also be Opened by Encouragement. Sin hath brought Gild and a Curse upon the Sinner, the awakened Sinner apprehends the Wrath of God that is out against him, and how shall he believe that God will show him mercy, or that, though he be able, yet he is willing to apply this power to him for his Salvation? Certainly there must be a free offer, an earnest invitation, or else he will never dare to adventure to come to him, whom he apprehends to be a consuming fire: here lieth the encouragement, Mat. 10. 49. Be of good comfort; rise, he calleth thee.  
5. That he might accommodate this to their nature;  
1. He hath revealed these truths to men extraordinarily inspired. As they are to come to us by Revelation, so God chose such to whom he would make it; and by whom he would communicate it to others; and on this account we read, 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and 2 Tim 3. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.  
2. He hath recorded them in his written Word. In that he hath commended his mind to us, and hath bidden us to Search the Scriptures, as we hope to have Eternal L●●e, and hath given us this reason why we should thus do, because they testify of him, J●h. 5. 39 And it is evident, that whatsoever God would have to be known concerning Christ, and the way to life by him, in this life, is recorded in the Scriptures, and there are we to seek for it, and no where else.  
3. He hath appointed the Ordinances of the Gospel in which these truths are to be dispensed. He hath instituted the Preaching of the Gospel, and sent his Ambassadors Commissioned by him for this very end, and that is the great business which they are to intent, and nothing else but what is in subordination to this, Cor. 2. 2. I determined to know nothing among you, but Jesus Christ, and him Crucified; and how doth Paul glory in this, Eph 3. 8. Unto me, who am less than the least of all Saints, is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentil▪ s the unsearchable riches of Christ. They are to declare this ●ountain, and to commend it unto me●, and pray them to come to it; and thus i● stands open for all that will repair to it.  
3. In what respect it is said to be opened in the days of the Gospel?  
A We are by the days of the Gospel to understand all that time from Christ's having appeared in the Flesh, and accomplished the work of Redemption, till the day of Judgement: which is called the Gospel day, in opposition to the times of the dispensation of the Law of Moses: else it is certain that it hath been a Gospel day, ever since the Revelation which was made to our First Parents, of the woman's seed breaking the head of the Serpent, Gen. 3. 15. And here we may observe three things.  
1. It is clear from the Word of God, that this fountain was opened to man, before Christ came in our Flesh. There was a way of Salvation discovered unto man, presently after he had undone himself by sin; and there were a great many saved by the virtue of this fountain in the times of the Law: there were then holy men, who were the Friends of God, men after his own heart, men that trusted in him, and waited for his Salvation. There were Prophecies and Predictions about Christ from the beginning, and those that then believed on him as their Redeemer, they saw his day and were glad, they prayed in his name, they had an eye to ●im in all the Types and Figures which were of him: for that was a truth from the beginning, Acts 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other.  
2. There was a peculiar opening of it after such time as Christ had wrought out the work of Redemption for us. The word of God is wont to make mention of things as if they were new, when there is a new manner of the Dispensation of them, or when there are very eminent degrees of the manifestation of them unto men: Now, with respect to the opening of this fountain, it was thus after Christ had finished the great affair of satisfying the Justice of God for us, and went to his glory; and that in two regards;  
1. In respect to the Clearness of the discovery. Those manifestations which were made of Christ under the Law, were very obscure; almost all that was there spoken about him, was under Types and Figures, and Ceremonies. Every thing than had a vail upon it, and few were able to see through it; and so they were exceeding ready to tarry at and take up with the shadows instead of the substance; and by that Law, which was given to be a School master to lead them to Christ, to fortify themselves against him and his Righteousness, Rom. 10. 2, 3. They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for being ignorant of God's Righteousness, and going about to establish their own Rightcousness, they have not submitted to the Righteousness of God. So that this fountain was then in a great measure covered, but now it is discovered gloriously, and every thing concerning Christ and Salvation by him is spoken plainly; 2 Cor. 3. 1●. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same Image, from glory to glory.  
2. In respect to the Extent of the offer that is made of it. Before the Gospel times, Christ was in some respects a fountain shut up, and sealed; he was opened, only to the Nation of the Jews, and such as were Proselyted to them; and that also obscurely: the Law of Ordinances was a partition wall between the ●ews and other people, so that this was their peculiar privilege and prerogative; Rom. 3. 2. To them. were committed the Oracles of God; Chap. 9 4. 5. Who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the Adoption, & the Glory, & the Covenants, & the giving of the Law, etc. And hence we have that of Christ himself, in Joh. 4. 22. Salvation is of the Jews. Hence the Gospel was to be first offered to them, and on their rejecting it, to be carried to the Gentiles. Acts 13. 46. But now the partition wall is pulled down, the Law of Ordinances is removed, and there is a way opened for others to come to him, and have peace in him, Eph. 2. 14, 15. He is our peace, having made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us▪ etc. Christ therefore, when he was to ascend to Heaven, Commissioned his Apostles to go into all, the world, and Preach the Gospel to every Creature, Mark 16. 15. The Apostle therefore tells us, Rom. 10. 18. Their sound went into all the earth, and their words into the ends of the world.  
3. There is yet a more glorious opening of this reserved for the day when the Jews shall be called. There is such a Calling to be expected; there are Prophecies in the Word of God concerning some Articles in the Gospel day, which have not as yet been fulfilled, according to the stately predictions about them; and th● we wait for till God shall bring that Nation back to himself. The Gentiles were very great Gainers by the cutting off of the Jews but they shall be far greater by the graffti● of them in again, Rom. 11. 15. Then shall th● knowledge of God cover the earth; then sha● Christ reign gloriously among his Ancients; the● shall his Kingdom be wondrously exalted then shall that have an eminent accomplishment, in Psal. 55. 6. When God bringeth back the Captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad. But this will be more insisted on in a following Observation.  
USE I▪ For Information in two particulars.  
1. Learn hence what reason we have to bless God that we live in times and places of Gospel light. Out of doubt the great advantage o● sinful men is to have Christ made known to them. The Apostasy had brought us all into a wilderness, a dry and thirsty land wherein there was no water: and had not this fountain been broken up to us, we must needs have perished. Had we lived in the days of the Law? if we had then been of the Nation of Israel, it had been a great privilege, and a singular favour: however, they were dark times then compared with ours; but if we had been born of and among the Gentiles, we had been shut out from that Garden in which this fountain was made to spring up. It is prophesied concerning the Gentiles, with what resentments they shall receive the Gospel, Jer. 16. 19 The Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit: How far then is our condition better than theirs was? let us then be thankful to God, tha● the Wells of Salvation are opened to us, and we may draw waters out of them; that Christ is preached and offered to us, and we are invited to come to him to have our thirsty Souls satisfied; that these rivers run before our doors: this is not the privilege of all the world at this day. Think then how highly we are favoured hereby, and let God have the whole glory of it.  
2. This tells us how justly and inexcusably they will perish, who come not to this fountain. It is certain that all men in their natural state, are in a perishing condition, being cut off from the fountain of living waters; there is no recovering of i● again, and life by it, but in and by Christ, in whom it is ●●ored. Man's ruin had been just if this had never been opened to him: God owes not to the Fallen creature any hope, nor any provision for its recovery: But if, when God hath not only prepared such a remedy, hut hath also opened it in the Go●pel, wooed men with all earnestness to com● to, and accept of it, used all eadeavours wit● them to persuade them to embrace it; an● yet they refuse to hearken to his calls, to a● cept of his offers, put him away from the● when he comes to them, will not leave the● broken cisterns for this fountain of living waters there remains no more hope for these, because there is never another fountain at which the● Souls can find refreshment: they despi● Christ, forsake him, will none of him, an● this makes their perdition inevitable, Jer. 1● 13. They that depart from me shall be written i● the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters; and how righteous a thing is it that they should thus suffer?  
USE II. Let it be to encourage thirsty Soul● to come unto Christ for all they want. God is wont, in order to his revealing of Christ to, and in Sinners, to awaken in them a deep sense of their misery, and to bring them into sore distress▪ they are made to feel themselves perishing in themselves, and thereupon their craving Souls are inquisitive whether there be no help to be had for them. Are you then brought into such a straight as this is, let the following advice be acceptable to you.  
1. Let your self want put you upon ask after him. Before you were under the impression, of these Convictions, you saw no need ●hat you had of him, and that made you ●o be so far from seeking after him, that when ●e came and offered himself to you, and bad ●ou to accept of him, you put him away from ●ou, and bade him be gone, made it evident ●hat you had no desire of him; but now let ●our enquiry be how you may come at him. Your Wells in which you before put ●our ●rust, are now sensibly dried up, and afford you no supply at all, ask then after, this fountain. Let this be your support under your present distress, that you have heard of such ●n one, and now make it your business to inquire how you may be made to partake in it, how you may get a full draught of these living waters.  
2. Let this fullness of sufficiency be your direction to go to him and no where else. Every one that would partake in this benefit, and not fail of this Grace of God, must resolve to forsake all the streams which before they took up withal, for the sake of the fountain; and the prime motive to this, is the apprehension they have of the emptiness of every thing else, and his infinite fullness. Receive then the witness that is born of him in his word, and see how worthy he is of your trust, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, Eph. 3. 20. Say, I have tried other objects, and they have failed me, but I have heard that there is enough for me i● him; I will therefore go to him, and hi● only for supply.  
3. Let his being opened be your encourageme● to prevail with you to come to him, and believ● on him. And indeed, here is that which next  animates poor thirsty Souls to come to him It is true, if he were not a fountain of Grac● he could not answer our necessity, and mak● us happy; our cravings can be filled with nothing that is less; but still, if this fountain were shut up and sealed, and there were n● way discoverable by which we might com● at it, the other consideration would afford ● poor support to our hope. Goodness indeed is the object of our desire, but it is the communicableness of this goodness which nextly excites our hope, and that is it which must carry us forth vigorously in quest of it: and the more fully this way of participation is manifested to us, and the more freely it is offered in the exhibition of it, the greater must the encouragement needs be. Here therefore is the great demur that sensible Souls are wont to make, viz. Is there any way for me to be made a partaker in all this good whereof there is such an abundance in the fountain?  
Consider then;  
1. This fountain was provided on purpose for such as you are. It was Man's miserable necessity that was the occasion of the providing ●t; and but for that, it had never been heard of; we are told who are to be made sharers ●n the benefits of Christ, Psal. 72. 12, 13. He shall deliver the needy when he crieth: the poor al●●, and him that hath no helper; he shall spare he poor and needy, and shall save the Souls of the needy. Observe what was the very design of his being anointed, and you will find that was for such as you, Isa. 61. begin.  
2. He stands open before you in the offer of the Gospel and Ordinances. There is an offer made of him there to some, and who are they but such whose condition is that which you complain of? the offer indeed is general, and hath no exception put into it, as to the persons who hear it, provided they comply with the terms propounded. You are not exempted; why then should you exempt yourselves: ●he Invitation saith, Whosoever will, let him come and take of the waters of life freely, Rev. 22. 17. The greatest Sinners are not excluded from, but included in it; Jer. 3. 2. Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.  
3. There is a special and peculiar invitation given to all such as you. Sensible Sinners, distressed Souls, such as are pinched with thirst, and under a feeling of their want; Isa. 55. 1. Every one that thirsteth, Mat. 11. 28. All you that are weary and heavy laden. That which you make your discouragement, and seek to hinder yourselves by, is the very argument of ●● invitation, viz. because you are in distress and despair of finding succour elsewhere and concerning such, if they do come up● the call, there are gracious promises of a kin● entertainment. How precious a word is that Isa. 41. 17. When the poor and needy seek wat● and there is none, and their tongue faileth ●● thirst, ● the Lord will hear them, I the God Israel will not forsake them.  
4. If you stand off by unbelief and despair, ●● will grieve his Holy Spirit. And well he m● be grieved. For you to say, there is no ho● for such a vile sinful Wretch as I am, is ● make him a liar; who again, and again ha● told you that his Salvation is laid in for suc● and assures you that Sinners must be brought to this sense in order to the application of it.  
5. Know it, that if you now come to him, ● will make you very welcome. He never ca● out any comer, nay, when he did but see th● poor Prodigal resolving, and arising to go ●● his Father, you are told how he carried t● him, Luk. 15. 20. When he was yet a great w●● off, his father saw him; and had compassion ●●●m, and ran, and fell on his neck and kisse● him.  
6. The more unworthy you are, the more wi●● his grace be exalted in you. Proud, insensibl● Sinners may and do abuse: but such as you will rightly improve that precious word, Rom. 5. 20. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; if you take heart by it, and betake yourselves to him. Come away then to the fountain, and drink your fill of it.  
For Direction,  
1. Come now, whiles it stands open, it will not do so always. He saith, 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salvation: Take heed of delays, they will prove your ●ndoing, if you be not careful, read Luke 13. 25. When once the Master of the house is risen ●p, and hath shut the door, etc.  
2. Come as you are, for the fountain is free, ●ay not, how shall I purchase these waters of ●fe? You are invited to them without money ●● price, Isa. 55. 1. If you have but a thirsty ●oul after his Righteousness, you are suitably qualified, and have that gracious encouragement given you, Mat. 5. 6. Blessed are they ●at hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they ●all be filled.  
3. Come to have all your wants supplied here. Bring them all with you, and cast them ●pon him; resolve that here is enough, and ●ou shall be satisfied, be not doubting but be●eve, and rely on his word who hath said, Psal. 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide, and I will ●ll it.   

DOCTRINE III. They are the Seed of Christ, and the Church of God, for whose sakes this fountain is opened.  
THE Subjects of this privilege are th● House of David, and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem. These are Typical Expressions, and there is a spiritual meaning that is to be sought in them, though the literal meaning is not to be excluded; and here is a double Type, though the thing aimed at in it is one and the same How far this shall be literally accomplished in both the parts of it, when the Nation o● the Jews shall be Converted to the Christian Religion, I shall not inquire now, but confine my present discourse to the Mystical and Spiritual meaning of it. David was a Type of Christ; and in how many things Christ was represented by him, would be too great a digression now to inquire: but it is certain, that by a frequent Scripture Metonymy, Christ the Antitype, is called by the name of David the Type, Jer 30. 9 They shall serve the Lord their God, and David their King, whom I will raise up to them. Ezek. 34. 23. I will set up one Shepherd over them, and he shall lead them, even my Servant David: and elsewhere. And there are many things spoken in the Psalms concerning David, that can be properly applied to none but Christ. By the House of David, we may literally understand his natural Posterity, or those that descended from him by Natural Generation, so the word, House, is frequently used; under which is shadowed Christ's Spiritual Seed, or those who were given him by his Father, and were to descend from him by a Spiritual Regeneration; such a Seed is promised him, Psal. 22. 30. A Seed shall serve him; it shall be counted to the Lord for a Generation. And under the Type of David, the Seed of Christ is eminently set forth, in Psal. 89. And it comprehends in it all the Elect of God, whom he tells us that his Father had given to him, and they were in due time to be born of him by a new birth. Jerusalem was a City which God chose out of all the Tribes of Israel, to put his Name there: there he settled his Ordinances, and therefore is said to have a peculiar respect for it, Psal. 87. 2. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob. And hence it is usually applied to the Church of God; sometimes to the Militant, Gal. 4 26. Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all; sometimes to the Triumphant, Heb. 12. 22. Ye are come to the Heavenly Jerusalem. And in the former of these respects it is here to be understood; and then by the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, we are to conceive is meant, those who are by the Grace of God brought over to him, and privileged with the immunities of the C● of God: and this T●pi●al application of J●rusalem is peculiarly celebrated in, Psal. 122 So that these are the same subjects with th● former, represented under a divers Type. Only we are to observe, that God's Elect are comprehended, because, though they are not a present actually the Seed of Christ, and Members of the Militant Church, yet they are designed to be so, and given to Christ for th● end; and by their being in due time ma●● so, it is evidenced that they were appointed to this privilege from Eternity. Now the● are they for whom this fountain is opened And in order to our distinct taking this up we may observe;  
1. It is certain that this fountain is not in a●● sense opened to all the world. There is a two fold opening of it, which might have bee● observed, viz. there is that which is outward by the promulgation of the Gospel, and tha● which is inward, made by the Illumination o● the Spirit. In this latter sense, none but th● Children of God have this discovery mad● unto them, Rom. 11. 7. The Election hath obtained it, the rest were blinded. Hence th●● awful word of Christ, Mat. 13. 11. It is giust to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom ●● Heaven, but to them it is not given. But w●● are now considering it in respect to the former sense, though as it aims especially at th● latter. And here it must be granted, that Christ is not opened unto any, but such to whom there is some signification made, by which they may be informed concerning him, so as to discover him to be a fountain of life; and this must be either by Immediate Revelation, or by the dispensation of the Gospel unto them: The former is not ordinary, and therefore, whatsoever God will do on prerogative, yet he hath given us no other ground to expect it but in the latter, Rom. 10. 14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? But it is notorious that a great part of the World are altogether ignorant of this fountain, and there is none sent to show it to them, and so must remain strangers to it. For men to think that the light of nature can discover, or that the Sun, Moon and Stars can preach a Christ to fallen man, is a vain and groundless opinion; the Apostle is positive in this, 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.  
2. That this fountain is opened in the outward discoveries and offers of it, to those that are not of the Seed of Christ, or of his mystical Body. Christ hath a visible, as well as a spiritual seed: i. e. such as are only so in outward appearance; there is a Jew that is so outwardly, and one who is so inwardly. Now it is the visible Church of Christ which is the subject of the outward Dispensations of the Gospel, and exhibitions of Christ therein. Christ is preached as well to Reprobates as to Elect; the Gospel is afforded, and the Grace of it offered, as well to those in whom it is a Savour of death, as to those to whom it becomes a Savour of life, 2 Cor. 2. 15, 16. The Apostle tells us, in Rom. 9 6. All are not Israel that are of Israel. i e. All do not belong to the true Seed, that have the external denomination: and yet these are they to whom the Ministration of the letter is equally afforded.  
3. This notwithstanding the direct aim, and great design of opening this fountain, is for the sake of those that are given to Christ. This is a great truth, though the carnal minds of natural men are prejudiced at it, and engage in so many earnest cavils against it; and it becomes a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to them, yet it is fully asserted in the Word of God, and is necessary to be laid open in the Ministry of the Gospel. That then this truth may be cleared up, let us observe the following Propositions.  
1. That there is a select number of Adam's ruined Posterity, whom God hath appointed to bring to eternal life by Christ. We must begin here, if we would follow this grace down from the fountain of it. God's last end in this great affair was the exaltation of the glory of his Grace; but in the ordering of the Media by which this was to be brought about there must be a subject in whom it is to be exalted: and that can be no other than a Creature that needed it. This necessity man brought upon himself by his undoing Apostasy, out of the ruins whereof God would pick up such as should be made the monuments of it: and these were not intended to be all, but only some, who are called his Chosen, those whom he hath given to Christ, those whose names are written in the Book of Life, and other like distinguishing notes, differencing them from the rest of mankind: nor could this appointment be only general and conditional, for than it were improper to say, that their names were written, or that God knows who they are, but we are assured that he doth, 2 Tim 2. 19  
2. Hence it was for their sakes that Christ was prepared and appointed to be a fountain of life to them. All mankind died in the first Transgression, Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin came into the world, and death by sin; so that death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: There must therefore a Well of Salvation be opened for the man, if ever he be restored to life again. The Son of God, barely considered as a Divine person, could not be so to Fallen man, as the case stands between God and him. He was capable of being made so, but there was a great deal to be done in this affair to bring it about; he must become a Surety for us; he must, as such, take our nature upon him, and in it put himself in our room, under the Law, and comport with the Sanctions of it; accordingly he must do and die for us, and therein fulfil all righteousness; and in that way he became able to save us to the uttermost▪ God is therefore said to have made him all this, 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption. Now that which was designed in this was our Salvation, and therefore it had a peculiar respect to those whom he was to save; Christ therefore declares the very design of this, Joh. 17. 19 For their sakes do I Sanctify myself; and it is a thing altogether unquestionable, that if it had not been for this, the Son of God had never taken this province upon him, and gone through it, as may be gathered from, Joh. 3. 17. God-sent not his Son into the world to condemn the World, but that the World through him might be saved.  
3. That the Gospel, in which this fountain is opened, was appointed to be the way of the communication of the virtue of it unto these. It is not enough that there was a fullness of all Grace stored in Christ, but there must be a derivation of the saving virtue of it, to all those that live by it. Now, though the spirit of God, to whom the Application of it belongeth, is he who derives it to us from Christ, yet he hath a way in which he so doth; and we are given to understand that this is by the Gospel: and therefore the virtue of it is Metonymically assigned to the Gospel, which is called the power of God to Salvation, Rom. 1. 16. And the reason is, because as it is to become ours, so God deals with us in bringing us to this faith, according to our nature, ●s Reasonable Creatures, by showing us our object, and the fullness and sufficiency of it; by discovering the terms of the Covenant, on which we may come to be interested in it; by setting before us all the incentives to move us to entertain it; all of which are discovered to us in and by the Gospel; for we are told, 2 Tim. 1. 10. Life and Immortality are brought to light by the Gospel. When therefore God intends men Salvation, in the ordinary dispensation of himself to them, he makes use of the Gospel as a Medium by which he will apply himself to them.  
4. Those to whom it is thus to be dispensed, live mixed among other men. It is Gods good pleasure, that his Chosen shall be scattered up and down in the World, and have their dwelling among those that are his Enemies; he therefore calls them from the Lion's dens, and from the mountains of the Leopards, Cant. 4. 8. There are indeed some places in the world that are wholly in darkness, and we know not of any of those that are given to Christ among them; but in other places they dwell one with another; in some places there are more, in others there are fewer of these, b● there are no places where Christ hath a Se● but there are wicked men dwelling with th● Godly. The Apostle therefore tells us, th● we must go out of the world, if we would ●● wholly separated from such, 1 Cor. 5. 10. An● we are acquainted that God hath some, who● he will sooner or later make sharers in th● benefit, in every Nation; Rev. 5. 9 Thou ●● redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of ever● kindred and tongue, and people, and nation. T● tares and the wheat must grow together till th● end of the world; then will a separation b● made between the one and the other, an● not till then, Mat. 13. 40, 41. And these n● only dwell together in one City or Town but oftentimes they live in the same house and lie in the same bed, Luk. 13. 34. There shall be two men in one b●●, the one shall be t●ken and the other left.  
5. That God hath appointed men, who are called by him unto it, to be the ordinary dispensers ●● this Gospel. He could indeed have done it immediately by his Spirit, or he could have employed the Glorious Angels in this Affair, wh● would have accounted it an honour thus ●● minister for the heirs of Salvation: but he hath Chosen this way in his wisdom, as that which is best accommodated for us, and that wherein he will gain the greater glory to himself, according to, 2 Cor. 4 7. We have this treasure is earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. It was for this end that Jesus Christ gave such gifts to men when he ascended, as Eph. 4. 10 etc. For the perfecting of the Saints, etc. And the Apostle gives us to understand, that ordinarily there is no other way for us to come to faith in Christ, and obtain Salvation by him, Rom. 10. 14, 15. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a Preacher?  
6. That these cannot distinguish between those that are given to Christ, and others. They are not acquainted with the secret counsels of God concerning men in particular; they find men equally lying in the rubbish of the Apostasy, and have not been admitted to look into the Lamb's Book of Life, and there to read whose names stand upon record, so as to apply themselves to them and to no other. Those whom God hath purposed to show his special Grace upon, are alike with others in their natural estate, being children of wrath as they, Eph. 2. 3. There is no difference between them in their frame and disposition, Rom. 3. 9 They are all under sin. In their natural state they are held under the power and dominion of their lusts, and are as ill conditioned as the most, and possibly have run themselves into as great exorbitancies, Tit. 3. 3. We ourselves were sometimes disobedient, serving divers lusts, etc. Nay, they may have ● themselves so prodigiously against God, a● Christ, that these may doubt of them, a● object against them, so did Ananias, with r● spect to Paul, when God bade him to visit him Acts 9 13. Lord, I have heard by many of t● man, how much evil he hath done to thy Saints ● Jerusalem, etc. Before God cometh with h● power to accompany their ministry to effect his Servants may meet with more discourage meant from such whom God will bring ho● to himself by their Ministry at last, than fro● any others.  
7. Hence they are to open and offer this Gr● to all that hear them. It is true, those off● are to be made upon Gospel terms; they a● to preach it as a Covenant, and not only ● tell Sinners that there is mercy to be had wi● God, but to show them in what way alo● they may come by it. However they ar● thus to exhibit this fountain, and bid all without exception to come to it, they must ende● our to make all that hear them sensible o● their need of it, and then to give them all encouragement to come to it; they are to repeat their invitation to the thirsty to come t● the waters, Isa 55. 1. they are to tell the wearry and heavy laden; that if they do come, Christ will give them rest, Mat. 11. 28. They are to invite the most wicked, to set the hopes o● mercy before them, and assure them that i● ●ey comply with the proposals of the Gospel, they shall be welcome, and need not to despair: they are to tell the wicked, that if ●e will forsake his way, and return to the Lord, ●e will abundantly pardon, Isa. 55. 7. To let them ●now that Christ came to save chief sinners, ● Tim. 1. 15. Nor are there any sins or Sinners exempted but such as have committed ●e unpardonable sin, which is hard to know, ●nd ought not easily to be charged upon any.  
8. And there shall a glory redound to God from ●● those to whom this fountain is thus opened. It ●s not to be expected, that all that are invited ●ill come; we read, Mat. 22. 5, 6. They made ●ght of it, and went their mays, one to his farm, ●nother to his Merchandise: and the remnant ●ok his Servants and entreated them spitefully, ●nd slew them. There are some that will heart'ly accept of the Call, and come to Christ with all their hearts; and there are others who will bid him departed, and return ●corn ●nd contempt to all the invitations which he ●ives them. However God will be no loser ●y these, either the one or the other. Despisers indeed will lose the benefit which they might have been made happy by, had they complied with the Treaty; but God will make his word to obtain its end; Isa. 55. 11. M● word which goeth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that which I please, etc. Paul longed for the Conversion of all his Hearers, but he found it fall out otherwise in many of them, not withstanding he comforted himself in this, that ● labour should not be lost, but God would glorified in the issue, whatever the effica● were, 2 Cor. 2. 15. We are unto God a sweet avour of Christ, in them that are saved, and them that perish.  
9 But yet if it had not been for this seed Christ, this fountain had not been thus opens Christ was exhibited for the discovery God's Grace, and though they that despise shall-smart for their so doing, yet the pri● design of sending the Gospel, and reveali● Christ in it unto any, is man's Salvation ● him; and but for this there had been ● Christ, and so no offer of him. Man's rela● on to the Covenant of Works, exposed him sufficiently to Revenging Justice; the New Comnant was for the display of Grace. If Go● sends his Gospel to any, it is because he ha● some there to be made partakers of his savin● mercy, this was the reason why Paul mu● tarry at Corinth, Acts 18 9, 10. Be not afraid etc. for I have much people in this City; an● we may suppose the reason why the Spirit for had him to preach the Word in Asia, and woul● not suffer him to go into Bythinia, Chap. 16. 6 7. was because there were none there to ●● Converted by his Preaching.  
10. Hence these, and only these shall partake ● ●e saving good of it. Others partake in the outward benefit of it, but through their sin, ● turns to their greater Condemnation: but ●hese are made to enjoy the efficacy of this ●ountain, and all the virtue of it derives to ●hem for their everlasting good: and in this ●egard it is opened only for them; i. e. for ●heir real good in the event. It is indeed the others fault that they are not savingly benetted by it; but the peculiar grace and favour ●f God appears to these, not only in affording the fountain to be opened to them, but also in bringing of them to it, and making ●hem drink of it, and live for ever; and it is ●ertain, that there must be besides the outward offer of it to men by the Word and the Ministry of it, the powerful operation of the spirit of God, to persuade and enable sinful ●en thus to forsake their broken cisterns, at which they dwelled contentedly, and betake themselves to the fountain of living waters. Christ saith, Joh. 6 44. No man can come unto ●e, except the father which hath sent me, draw ●im; and they are only those that did thus ●elong to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption, to whom he so irresistably and efficaciously applies himself in bringing them over to Christ by faith; hence that, Joh. 10. 26. Ye ●elieve not, because ye are not of my sheep. And without doubt, all that it was thus opened for, shall in due time be made happy sharers in it, Joh. 6. 37. All that the father hath given ● shall come unto me.  
USE 1. We may here take notice of the ●derful love of God to his Chosen in Christ. Wh● the Scripture attributes love to God, it po● to his good will in purposing good to be ●stowed on them, and making them that ● appointed thereto to partake therein: and ● love is looked upon to be greater or less, 'cording to the things that are willed in it, ● the benefit received by them: and on this acount, God is said to love some of his Cr●tures more than others, in that he hath d● more for them, and prepared greater blessi● to bestow on them. There is a common lo● of God, in which the whole Creation is sharer, appearing in his benignity in bestowi● on them these favours by which they are preserved, supplied, and comforted; to this is ● be referred that, Acts 14 17 He did good, a● gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful season filling our hearts with food and gladness; an● Chap. 17 25 He giveth to all life, and breathe and all things. But then there is a special lo● which God hath for some of his Creature and that was in appointing, providing, and opening this fountain for them, from whic● they may derive everlasting life. This therefore is mentioned in the Gospel with an E●phasis, as if it were the only love, 1 Joh. 4 9 In this was the love of God manifested to us, etc. & Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world, etc. Certainly then this love of God to those for whom it was prepared must be great beyond conception: Paul thus signalizeth the love of Christ to him, Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me. Now it is certain that this fountain was ordained for the saving benefit of those, and only those whom God ordained to eternal life by Christ; but for whose sake it had never been. And though such to whom this fountain is opened in the Dispensation of the Gospel, are by virtue of it privileged singularly above others, as Psal. 147. ●0. He hath not dealt so by any Nation, etc. Yet the specialty of it appears in respect of those to whom it is applied by the Spirit, and they are made to drink of it, and to live by it; for to these only it becomes effectual in regard of the great design of it: and these are only the Israel of God, his Chosen and Called. For though it is Ministerially opened to others, yet spiritually it is to them a sealed fountain, and they participate not in the virtue of it. How infinitely then are these beholden to God for Christ? and what praise and thanksgiving ought they to be ever celebrating their gratiude to him withal, for this benefit?  
USE II. Learn hence how vain a thing it is for any to boast and be confident, in that they enjoy the outward Gospel Dispensations. True, G● doth favour such more than he doth the● that sit in the dark, and have no Gospel li●● shining among them; and they own him gr●● thanks for such a favour, because by it th● are nearer Salvation, as to the means; th● fountain is brought to them, and if they p●rish for all, it will be their own salt: however this outward privilege doth not giv● them the security of Salvation. There a● multitudes that die of thirst, notwithstanding the fountain is before them, and they a● invited to drink of it, and live, because they will not make use of it; they will 〈◊〉 come to Christ that they might have life, J● 5. 40. They leave it for their broken cistern which will not afford one drop of the waters of life to them; and if they drink n●ver so large draughts thereof, it will n● que●ch their appetites. Boast not then o● your privileges, unless God hath given yo● an heart to improve them Think of th● awful observation▪ Deut. 29. 2, 3, 4. Ye ba●● seen all, &c yet the Lord hath not given ●● an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and 〈◊〉 to hear unto this day. Think not that li● is secured to you by this, or that because God hath savoured you with the Gosp● you are safe, or secure of Salvation by i● you may prove despisers, and then yo● guilt and condemnation will be the greate● for none equally suffer God's wrath, with those ●o who● a Christ hath been offered, and they neglected him. God will call those whom he plased, to receive Christ, and live by him; the Saving virtue of the Gospel shall not be ●ost, although you put it from you, and perish. B● not then high minded, but fear.  
USE. III. We here see of what great importance it is for us all to make our Calling and E 〈◊〉 sure▪ It certainly is a duty incumbent on all, and therefore we are called upon to use ●●iligence in it, 2 Pet. 1. 10. Surely it infinitely concerns all the Children of fallen Adam to ●et a title to the fountain of life, and take care that they be not mistaken about it. It is not enough to give an Historical credit to the truths of the Gospel, wherein we are told that Jesus Christ is an Alsufficient Saviour, and that all Life and Salvation is fountained in him; though this credit is also necessary in order to our coming too▪ and believing on him: but our concern is to know whether we are sharers in it, whether it be made ours, and shall assuredly afford us Salvation. It is evident that we are all perishing in our natural state; that this world is a thirsty and dry wilderness, where there is no water of life; that all saving good is laid up in Christ, as in a fountain; that all to whom he is offered, do not accept o● him; that many who pretend to receive him, will be found Hypocrites and sel● 〈◊〉; that to be 〈◊〉 taken in this affair another day, will be 〈◊〉 Creatures undoing; that none have any Clai●● to this but the Seed of Christ, and Children 〈◊〉 the Church Mystical. See then that this foundation is laid in you. Christ tells us in Ma● 7. 22, 23. Many will say unto me in that 〈◊〉 Lord, Lord, etc. and then I will profess unto the● I never knew you, depart from me ye workers ● Iniquity. Take heed of being found in th● number, in the day of accounts: it will be ● aggravated misery to lose an hope that y● pleased yourselves withal here, because it w● a false one.  
USE IU. Here is matter of Encouragement ● awakened Sinners that sit under ●he Gospel▪ A● there any whose thirsty Souls, not only cra● after happiness▪ but find no satisfaction in tho● objects which sin hath diverted men unto▪ you▪ find your misery, in that you perish wit● out the waters of li●e, and that this wilderness will afford none, and are thereupon inquisitive after Christ, o● whom you have heard a repot that he is one that can do it for you: to suc● this truth speaks seasonably and comfortabl● Here is a Well of Salvation opened▪ in this d● and thirsty land, i●s waters are healing and satisfying; there is enough of them, there is fountain, and it can never fail. And not on● are you comprehended in the general invita● ●given to all where the Gospel is Preached, ●t it is the special direction of it that is given ● such as you, and all encouragement joined ●ith it ● the weary and heavy laden are single●●t in it, Math. 11. 28. The poor and needy, and ●c● whose eyes fuil them, are remembered with a ●acious promise, Isa. 41. 17. And indeed, the 〈◊〉 in which God persuades and allures pe●hing Sinners to come to Christ, is by touch 〈◊〉 their Consciences, and making them ap●hensive of their woeful misery in themselves, 〈◊〉 their helplessness any where else that so ●e revelation of Christ to them may be very ●lcome, as showers of rain are to the weary ●lderness, that is parched. You have great ●son then to hope in his Grace, and according to adventure yourselves upon it; for if ●od be opening of your hearts to receive ●rist, it is because he intends to fill them with ●m; and the emptying you of every other ●ing, is a step to that.  
USE. V Let this quicken the Children of God; 〈◊〉 make a free and full Improvement of this foun●in for all the ends of it. The usefulness of it ●tends to all the necessities of your Souls; 〈◊〉 is no relief that you can need, but here ●may be fully supplied: and your occasions ●e such as call you every day to come to it. ●ou go any whither else to get them suppli 〈…〉 you will return 〈◊〉, God hath opened this fountain to you; he hath rolled the s● from the mouth of it; he hath planted you it; and is from time to time drawing these waters, and presenting them to you his holy Ordinances: why then should use them sparingly? they are your own, ● hath given them you freely, and he bids ● to drink of them abundantly. You may ti● complain of your pinching want; you th● and Oh! that you could have a satisfy draught; why then do you stand off? W● question your title, doubt whether you ● make use of your own, and live upon it ● greatest contentment? Oh this Unbelief! ● to God to cure you of it; and endeavour improve all the encouragement that he ● given you, to make you, with holy bold● at all times come to him, and bring your ve● with you, that they may be filled. The m● you thus do, the more you will please h● and the more happy and delightful will y● Pilgrimage be to you, and the more abundant will you praise and glorify God for this speakable gift.   

DOCTRINE IU. The great design of Opening this fountain to G● People, is for Sin, and for Uncleanness.  
THis is directly expressed in our T● There are three things mainly inched in this Doctrine: viz.  
1. That it was the sin and uncleanness of ●●, that gave the occasion for the opening this Fountain.  
2. That the great usefulness of this Foun●n, is for the taking away of the sin and ●cleanness that man hath contracted.  
3. That where this Fountain is savingly applied, it shall take away the Sin and Un●anness of the People of God. These than ●ay be briefly, and yet distinctly taken into ●●●sideration.  
1. That it was the sin and uncleanness of man, ●● gave the occasion for the Opening of th●s ●●tain. We must here distinguish between cause and an occasion. They go too far, he assign a Causality in sin to the coming ● Christ in the Flesh, and his working out ● Salvation for us: for though, as will anon ● considered, if it had not been for this, he ●d not so come, yet there cannot properly ● assigned any causality in this to such an ●ect: and they who so think, do not rightly ●sider the order and causes of Gods Works ● Efficiency. They that ascribe a causality ● it, reckon it to be an impulsive cause, or a ●otive on the mind of God to send his Son ●to the world on this Errand: but that it cannot be, because the will of God is the supreme cause of his purposing the works of Efficiency. And as the Glory of his Grace was the last end of his purpose of Election, ●● the fall of man into sin, and under mis● by sin, was a purposed Medium to it, and ● could not possibly be a Medium to that ● pose. However in the contrivance of ● Media, there was an allwise concatenate of one with another, and so the sin and ● cleannesses of man gave occasion for the ●ming of Christ. And we may take this s● account of it.  
1. That God purposed from Eternity to ● the glory of his Grace, in some lasting Moment's of it. If we would take a right ● count of any of God's works, we must ● gi'en at the end or Design of them. We ● to conceive of God as an Infinitely Wise g●nt, and therefore to have some worthy ● in all that he doth: and according to ● we are to conceive of the wisdom appear● in the means that he useth to bring this ● about: Now God hath declared or manife●ed himself to us in divers glorious Attribu● or Perfections, by which he will make hi● self known; too whereof were his Gr● and his Mercy, which are often used pro●cuously for one and the same in the Gosp● when they are referred to the great des● under our present consideration, though th● is a divers notion which we are to enterta● of them; Grace being God Inclined fre● to bestow his favour upon a Creature that ●serves it n●; Mercy supposing the Subject ●● in misery, is God inclined to secure it in ●●at misery. Grace may exert itself in a subject that is not in misery; yea, all that ●od doth for any of his Creatures is free▪ ●ence that challenge, Rom 11. 35. Who hath 〈◊〉 given to him, and it shall be recompensed him again. Mercy is restrained to a miserable subject; and that mercy also is a fruit of Grace, because it is free, for the Creatures infelicity cannot make it to deserve the Succour afforded it. Now God would have some last●●● Monuments of these perfections of his, which should for ever be Mirrors in which ●● should be read, how gloriously Gracious and ●●●ciful he is. The Apostle therefore reduc●th the great contrivance of man's Salvation to this, Eph. 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his Grace. His people are therefore said to be to ●●m for a Name, and for a Praise, and for a Glory, Jer. 13. 11.  
2. In the order of the means to this end, there was nothing wherein God designed the exaltation of this Grace and Mercy, equally with that of Christ in respect of his Redemption and Salvation. He that designs an end, must choose and use means for the bringing of it about; and many times there is an order of many means for the accomplishment of that which is intended; and in this order there is a subordination of them ●●e to another, in their serving ●● the design of them ●nd this is very manifest in the wonderful counsel of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exaltation of 〈◊〉 glory of ●is Grace and Mercy. Now, as 〈◊〉 way in which God chose to glorify these 〈◊〉 fections of his, was by the Redemption and Savation of man, in and by which man was ● be made the monument of them; so he ●pointed Jesus Christ to be the Redeemer a●● Saviour, in which he had a regard to Chri●● Mediatorial Glory: Christ therefore tells us, J●● 5. 22, 23. The Father Judgeth no man, but 〈◊〉 committed all Judgement unto the Son; that 〈◊〉 men should honour the Son, even as they honour 〈◊〉 Father. The person of Christ, considered ● God and man, was a great Medium in 〈◊〉 affair; and for that reason he is called a 〈◊〉 diator, or a middle person, 1 Tim. 2. 5. 〈◊〉 is one Mediator between God and man, the 〈◊〉 Christ Jesus. God therefore constituted 〈◊〉 to be such a person, that so in and throu●● him, this rich Grace▪ of his might shi●e fo●● to all eternity; and for that reason we are 〈◊〉 to be chosen in him for this end; Eph. 1. 4. 〈◊〉 6▪ Accord as he hath chosen us in him, etc. 〈◊〉 the praise of the glory of his Grace. And th● wherein this Glory was to be illustrated 〈◊〉 in the Redemption which he was to work 〈◊〉 by which our Salvation was to be procured, 〈◊〉 the conferring of this purchased Salvation up●● us by him hence that, Verse 7. In whom w● 〈◊〉 Redemption through his blood. And indeed, 〈◊〉 nothing co●● the Grace of God, so illustriou●● appear, as ●● the appointing o● his own▪ Son t● 〈◊〉 a Redeemer for man, when his case was ●●duced to that exigence, that in no other way 〈◊〉 could be Saved; Joh. 2. 16 God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotton So●. Rom. 5. 6. When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  
3. That way might be made for this, there must ●● a subject for it to work upon▪ which needed this Redemption and Salvation. A Redeemer, and Redeeme● are Correlates, and one cannot be without the other: This is a Relative Title, and ●●●refore if there had been nothing to Re●●●m, Christ could never have born that Title ●● him: Redemption supposeth a forfeiture, ●● captivity, which the subject which is to partake in it, is fallen under, and from whence his necessity of being redeemed doth arise, in that ●● is by this means to be restored from it. ●● is true, there are other ways among men, by which such an one may be delivered, viz. ●ither by a free setting him at liberty without any satisfaction made, by the bounty of the Creditor, or by a forcible recovery of him out of the hands of those that hold him; but this is one way, and the only one in the case before us; viz. by the laying down of an indented price, or by an exchange of persons, to ●oth of which the case in hand is referred, 1▪ Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave himself a ransom for●●s. Gal 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse o● 〈◊〉 Law, being made a Curse for us. Hence 〈◊〉 appointing of Christ to be a Redeemer, ha● respect to man's fa●●ing into such a condition●● made him to stand▪ in need of one; w●● necessity was another Medium for the 〈◊〉 festation of this Grace and Mercy.  
4. That which was to enhance this Mercy 〈◊〉 the forlorn state of the subject, and his helplessly out of it, in any other way. The more there ● of Grace and Mercy in it, the more are th● Attributes glorified by it: hence every circumstance in this affair belongs to the 〈◊〉 The more of unworthiness there is in the 〈◊〉 ject, the greater is the Grace afforded to 〈◊〉 and this Grace also holds proportion with 〈◊〉 greatness of the kindness itself that is done 〈◊〉 it. The more miserable the subject is, 〈◊〉 more a●●onishing is that mercy which Succo●● it; and the more ample deliverance it affords the greater is its praise: and that which giv● a peculiar lustre to both of these is when t●● subject is brought into such a straight, th●● there is but one door at which its help c●● come in; when there is no other possib●● way of relief, and then that affords it; we a●● therefore acquainted how all these circumsta●●ces concentred in the case before us: ho●● miserable we were become, how unworthy we had rendered ourselves (who indeed neve● had any meritorious worthiness in us) may b● read in the word of God: and that ●●r condition was helpless, if Christ had not stepped in for our Succo●●; is there also witnessed to; we arnhold, Acts 4. 12. Neither▪ is there Salvation in 〈◊〉 ●ther, for there is no other name under heaven, gi●●● amongst men, whereby we must ●e Saved: a●● we have that remark, Isa. 59 16. He saw that there was no man, and he wondered that ther● 〈◊〉 ●o intercessor, therefore his arm br●●●ht salvation unto him, etc. This therefore is given as a great commendation of Christ, Psal▪ 7●. ●●. H● shall deliver the poor, ●nd him that hath ●● 〈◊〉 And God himself mentions this as a memorable thing, Ezek. 16. 5, 6▪ None eye pity ● 〈◊〉 and when I passed by thee and saw th●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy blood, I said unto thee, live.  
5. Way was made unto t●●s by that sin and ●●●●●ness that man had contracted to himself. It is certain, that the abounding of sin, made the way for the abounding of this Grace, Rom. 5. 20. Man indeed, had he kept his primitive integrity, would have been a subject of God's Grace; every thing that he received from God would have been a free favour: but Grace is wonderfully enlarged in and by the Salvation which is provided for and afforded to fallen and sinful man: and as to Mercy▪ in the strict sense of it, man was not a subject ●●xtly capable of it, till sin had made him so; he was not miserable, nor was there any distress upon him which called for succour and compassion. It was sin that hurled him▪ into all his inconveniencies, and those mischiefs that now lie upon him, and have hi● in pursuit. We are therefore acquainted ho● this came about, Rom. 5. 12. By one man 〈◊〉 came into the world, and death by sin. 〈◊〉 now, when man is brought into such a state he is a subject fit for Grace and Mercy to work upon, and erect to themselves trophies of honour and glory, in doing for him, by raising him out of that forlorn condition, and bestowing upon him the contrary blessedness. Not as if this miserable estate which man ha●● by his own folly brought himself into, laid any obligation upon God to work for him i● this way; for it indeed exposed him to his ju●● indignation: but only that it laid open an Object that needed it, and upon which, if h● saw meet, he might exert those Attributes of his to the highest, and thereby bring to himself a Tribute of everlasting praise. When therefore Paul had mentioned how notable a subject he had been of this, he could not bu● shut up the discourse of it with that Doxology, 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King Eternal Immortal, Invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory, for ever and ever, Amen.  
6. There were divers steps to this, all of which were ordered by the holy counsel of God. Every thing that bears the consideration of a Medium to this great end, must needs be acknowledged unto Gods fore appointment; for all things fall out according to the counsel of his will: and though he is not in any respect to be accounted the author of sin, yet he is the Supreme Orderer of it, and that according to his permissive will. Now there were such steps as these, all of which made way for the introduction of this Grace and Mercy of his.  
1. The Creating of man Upright. That God did so Create him, we are told, Eccles. 7. 29. God made man uprights Adam was Created in a state of integrity, which consisted in the rectitude of his nature, by virtue of the Concreated principle of Holiness and Righteousness which was put into it; and was called Gods own Image after which man was made, Ge●. 1. 26. etc. And if he had not been thus made he could not have been capable of the following transactions that were betwixt God and him: for to require that of a Creature which it was never in a capacity of complying withal, had been unworthy of Gods infinite wisdom, and altogether inconsistent with that Justice which God laid the foundation for, in the nature and state that he Created man in.  
2. The Covenant of Works, and the Sanctions of it. That there was such a Covenant plighted with man, the Word of God gives us sufficient intimations of: and as it was requisite that man should be a cause by Counsel of his own actions, or else he could not have, been treated with in the way of a Cove●●● which supposeth a mutual stipulation between the persons Covenanting; so the works ●●quired of him in that Covenant, could 〈◊〉 have been performed by him according to the tenor of it, without the moral rectitude of 〈◊〉 nature, which we have taken notice of. No● in this Covenant there are considerable 〈◊〉 Sanctions of it, but for which man could no● have been happy or miserable according to 〈◊〉 and his carriage of himself towards it. Go● therefore, besides a Rule which he gave 〈◊〉 man directing him how he might serve hi● aright, annexed a promise of life in case 〈◊〉 Obedience full, and perfect, and threatne● him with death i●●e should transgress the precept; which is intimated in that, Gen. ● 17. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou sha●● surely die; and thus man, under the first Covenant, stood a probationer for life or death according as he should behave himself.  
3. The permission of him to fall That ma● did eventually fall from his Rule and Happiness, is a thing very notorious. That this 〈◊〉 was a foil on which God ●rew the lines, and laid the colours o● his Grace and Mercy, is no less observable in the Word of God: henc● that, Rom 5. 20 21. The Law entered that si● might abound; but where sin abounded, Gra●● did much more abound: that as sin hath 〈◊〉 unto death, even so might grace reign through right▪ teousness 〈◊〉 eternal life, through Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 Lord. And that God had a respect unto 〈◊〉 in appointing Christ to be a Redeemer and Saviour, is not to be doubted, inasmuch 〈◊〉 this was the very thing from which he was ●o redeem and save us: this therefore is said to commend that Grace, Rom. 5. 8. God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were 〈◊〉 sinners, Christ died for us. God therefore must needs have a foresight of this Apostasy, because the assignation of Christ to his Mediaeval Offices had a respect to it; and that man had not ●allen but by Divine Permission, is certain: for God could have kept him from it, without offering force to his free will, as he did the glorious Angels that keep their Station, as he doth the perfected Saints in Glory, and as he doth true Believers in this life from final Apostasy; and this Permission must needs flow from his will, because he is the Supreme Governor of all Creatures, and all their actions, according to is holy pleasure. Hence, though God doth ●ot approve of, but hateth sin, yet he saw it ●ood, for an higher end, that there should ●e sin by his Permission.  
4 The miserable ●state to which he is reduced the fall, by virtue of the Curse of the Law 〈◊〉 man had retained his uprightness, he had ever been miserable, and so had not stood 〈◊〉 need of Mercy, but all miseries are contained in that Curse which man is under by 〈◊〉 son of sin and uncleanness: and they are 〈◊〉 other than what he must righteously suffer▪ ● there be no way of delivery from them; ● as much as he hath procured them to himself his sin, Jer. 2. 17. Now this misery was a ●●per result of the threatening conditionally 〈◊〉 ●aced in the first Covenant, which the 〈◊〉 brought himself under, by transgressing of ● Law▪ which was so guarded.  
7. Hence, if man had not by his sin and 〈◊〉 cleanness involved himself in that misery, t●● had been no occasion for this fountains being pr●red and opened. There was no Mediator in ● first Covenant, neither needed there a● God and man were in a●ity, and this friendship had been confirmed between them up● man's entire conformity to the will of G●● and been sealed up to him, upon his ea●● of the tree of life, which was a Sacra●ent ● it. But now when the Covenant was vi●●●ed, man was exposed, the Curse was fa● upon him, he was a man of death, there ● an opportunity for Gods showing himself joyful and gracious; and for the display o●● to send forth his Son to be a Saviour; ● for that end to cause all fullness ●● dwell in ● that might derive from him to the un●● creature, as from a Fountain. And this ●● to give us some light into the stupen● mystery of the Providence of God, in ●●ing of poor man to fall upon the Law, and ●●eak himself in pieces; but for which the glorious things of Christ had never been heard of in the world.  
2. That the great usefulness of this Fountain, is to take away the Sin and Uncleanness which man had contracted. It is certain that Christ is a fountain of all Saving good to sinful man, as hath been already observed: but the Spirit of God doth point us here to some peculiar benefit, that it was designed for, and for that reason do require our particular consideration of. Here than we may inquire;  
1. What we are here to understand by Sin, and Uncleanness?  
2. In what respect Sin and Uncleanness may be said to be taken away?  
3. What is the usefulness of this Fountain for such an end?  
Of these in order.  
1. What are we here to understand by Sin and Uncleanness?  
A. There are some who take these two words to be Synonymical, and to intent one and the same thing; only allowing an Emphasis in▪ the ingemination of things, they suppose them to include all sorts and degrees of Sin. Some, by Sin understand those errors, or ordinary transgressions which men live in the Commission of; & by Uncleanness the more enormous and Conscience wasting sins which they defile themselves withal▪ s●me again, by Sin understand Actual Sin; and by Uncleanness original Sin, which is the root of defilement ●● man, and makes all the actions which he doth▪ polluted. But there is yet another sense which is more generally entertained, and seems mor● appositely to belong to the meaning of the Text, and recommends to us the excellent virtue of this fountain, and its extensive usefulness, viz that by Sin we are to understand the Gild, and by Uncleanness the Defilement that ● contracted by Sin. There are two woeful properties of sin, recorded in the word of Go● in which the misery of sinful m●n is comprehended.  
1. There is a Gild that is contracted by it; which is properly a respect that it bea●s to the Covenant of works, or the Sanction which was added to the Law which God at first gave unto man, Expressed in, Gen. ●. 17 In the ●● thou ●atest thereof thou shalt surely die, Expounded in, Ezek. 18. 4. The soul that Sinneth, it shal● Dy. This word is therefore used for the punishment of sin, or rather for the Gild by whic● the man l●eth obnoxious unto punishment Gen. 4. 7. If thou dost not well Sin lieth at t●● door. Levit. 20. 20. They shall bear their si●. And in the Levitical Law it is often used f●● the Sacrifice that was offered for sin, for th● expiation of the Gild of it, Leu. 4 20. 2● And frequently else where.  
2. There is also a defilement which the Sin leav●s behind it upon the man: and that in respect both of Original and Actual Sin. Original sin is the very pollution of our nature, which makes us unclean things: and hence it is Allegorically and Emphatically set forth by the condition of a Newborn Infant, in Ezek. 16. begin. And every actual sin leaves a spot, a stain, a filthiness behind it upon the man that commits it, Ezek. 20. 43. Ye shall remember your wars and all your do, wherein ye have been defiled. And this ariseth from the moral respect which sin bears to the Law of God, which is an holy Law, and men are said to be holy when they observe it; and for this reason sin is said to be an abominable thing, Jer. 44 4.  
2. In what respect this Sin and Uncleanness ●●y be said to be taken away?  
A. This will be evident from the former; for in what respect Sin and Uncleanness cleaveth to the man, in the same it must be removed. There is therefore a double taking away of ●●●, answerable to the twofold mischief which it doth the man, b● its adhesion to him: t●● former is by Justification, the latter by Sanctification. And the●e are two great and comprehensive benefits which the Gospel tells us do derive from Christ to us. These were in the old Mosaic Law represented, the one by the Sacrifices of A●●ement, in which the blood o● the offering was made u●e o●; hence that, Heb. 9 22. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remession. The other by the many washing● and pu●ifications that men were appointed to make use of. And some think these two were Emblematized in the blood and water which issued from the body of Christ when he was pierced: Here then,  
1. Sin is taken away by Justification, when the Atonement being accepted for the Sinner, he is pardoned, and his Gild removed. As long as the Law makes its demands of the sinner personally, so long his sin lieth upon him, & he is Guilty; but when this pardon is bestowed, he ceaseth legally to be a Sinner, i. e. He is not a Guilty one, because he is discharged from the Sentence that was out against him: his sin is in that regard as if it had never been; we read in, Jer. 50. 20. In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and th●re shall be none, and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon etc. And this is done by God's accepting▪ of a● Atonement, when he saith as, Job 33. 24▪ Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom  
2. Sin is taken away by Sanctification, when God, by his Spirit, applies ●is Grace to the Soul, by which he mortifyeth sin, and cleanseth it of the defilement which ●●e●v●th to it. This is called the purging away o● iniquity, Isa. 27. 9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged. And th● purifying of our hearts, Acts 15. 9 And we are allusively told how it is done, Ezek. 36. 25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you▪ and ye shall be cleansed from all your filthiness. And this is nextly applied to Original sin, by the mortification whereof we are Sanctified, and as sin decreaseth, so Grace increaseth, which is our purity.  
3. What is the Usefulness of this Fountain for such an end?  
A. There are two things to be considered in the Lord Jesus Christ as a Fountain, or a Treasury in whom they are laid up, which do suitably and sufficiently Answer these two occasions of Sinful men, viz. his Merit, and his Grace: I shall give some general glances at each of these.  
1. There is an Infinite Merit fountained in Christ, for the taking away the Gild of Sin, & the Justification of the Sinner. We observed that this Gild is an obligation lying upon the Sinner by reason of the threatening, to suffer the penalty menaced by the Law. The Removal of this Gild, with respect to the Sinner himself, can be only▪ by a free pardon; for he ha●h nothing of his own to make compensation to the Law withal: But the removal of it with reference to the Covenant of works, and the Established Rule of Relative Justice in it, m●st be by Justification. God, as a Judge, must either Justify or Condemn him, upon his Trial: and yet, in Justifying him, he must also pardon him. These two are inconsistent in the procedure of humane Judges, but they are inseparable in God's process upon believers. It is called Justifying the Ungodly, Rom. 4 5. But the ungodliness must be forgiven to the person freely, and so Justification is an act o● Grace, Rom 3. 24. Being Justified freely by ●● Grace. And yet it must be upon a Satisfaction and Merit, else the Law cannot be answered in it, nor the Justice of God consist▪ with ●● Grace, and it must so do; Verse 26. That God may be just, and the Justifier of him that believeth. In this Justification there are two things▪ viz. the pardon of sin, and the declaring the pers●n righteous; ●or which there must be found the Law answered in both parties; the threa●●ing must be satisfied for, which is to be do●● by a bearing of the whole penalty denounced against the Sinner for sin; and the condition of the promise of life must be complied with, which is by perfect Obedience to the whole Law. That this may be done fo● the Si●ner by a Surety, the Gospel assureth us; and that Christ was a Surety on this account, we are there informed, Heb. 7. 22. Jesus was made a Surety of a better Covenant. A●d this is also implied in that▪ 2 Cor. 5. 21. He hath made him sin for us, who kn●w no sin; that w● might be made the righteousness of God through him. And those several expressions amount to as much, Isa. 53. 4, 5, 6. He hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, etc. Now Christ, by the Redemption that he wrought out, ●●id in an▪ infinite treasure of Righteousness for this end, and on this account it is called, the Righteousness of God, Phil▪ 3 9 Rom. 3. 21. And Everlasting Righteousness, Dan 9 24. the satisfaction and merit of it is sufficient to expiate the guilt of all sins, 1 Joh. 5. 7. The Blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin. There is a boundless Ocean of virtue in him, so that he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to him, Heb. 7. 25.  
2. There is an incomprehensible fullness of Gra●● in Christ, which he is able to communicate to us for our Sanctification. Not only had h● in him an unmeasurable fullness of Grace; and hence he is said to be full of Grace, Joh 1. 14. to have an universal fullness in him, Col. 1. 19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. Not only to have Grace poured forth on his lips, Psal. 45. 2. but to be anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, ver. 7. Yea we are told, that God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him, Joh. 3. 34 But he received it as a Fountain or Store house, that he might communicate it; hence that, Joh. 1. 16. Of his fullness we all receive, and grace for ●race. For this reason he is said to be made Sanctification to us, 1 Cor. 1. 30. There is no Grace that we can want, but there is enough of ●● with him to bestow upon us, and furnish ●● therewith for New Obedience, that we ma● be so enabled to glorify God in our lives▪ Nor is there any duty that he calls us to, ●● hard but that he can supply us with abundant ability to discharge it, and carry us through it to his glory. Paul could be confident of this, Phil. 4. 〈◊〉 I can do all things through Christ strengthening of me. It is the work of his Spirit to convey this Grace from him to as, Joh. 16. 14. He shall receive of mine, and show it unto you. And he who is privileged with this indwelling Spirit, needs not be discouraged at any thing which God lays in his way as duty, but may confide in this, that Christ can and will be with him, and carry him through victoriously, over all that would obstruct him in it: and this is the ground upon which he bids his people, though weak in themselves, not to be afraid, Isa. 41. 14. Fe●● not thou 〈◊〉 Jacob, and the men of Israel, I will help thee saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer. His Grace hath a cleansing virtue in it; and though we are at present Sanctified but in part, yet this is not through any defect in his virtue, but because he will carry the work on in his, gradually, for holy ends, and that he may learn them the experience of the spiritual warfare, whiles they abide in this li●e: yet he who carries it on by degrees, will give us the experience of the fullness of it, when he shall have purged away all our iniquities, and made us entire and spotless, which we are assured is the design to which his Redemption leads, Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify, etc. and present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.  
8. That where this fountain is savingly applied, it shall take away the sin and uncleanness of the people of God. This shall be the certain and unfailing operation of it. If ever the virtue of Christ's Redemption be communicated to any of the Children of men, it shall certainly have this operation upon them; it is an inseparable quality of the fountain. This Proposition may be laid open in the following Conclusions.  
1. That the great errand on which Christ was sent into the world, was to take away the sins of his people. We have before observed that it was our sin that gave the occasion for the opening of this fountain, and why did Christ take an occasion from thence to appear in the state of a Redeemer, but that he might remove it? Joh. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Mat 1. 21. He shall save his people from their sins. It was not to reconcile God to sin, but to reconcile Sinners to God, 2 Cor. 5. 19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself; which reconciliation could be made in no other way, ●● by the removal of that which had made t●● distance, which was nothing else but sin, 〈◊〉 59 2. Your iniquities have separated between 〈◊〉 and your God. It was because sin had ma●● the world an Hospital, that Christ was se● into it to come as an healer, a Physician, and so he compares himself, in Mat. 9 13.  
2. That the whole business of his Humiliati●● was to enable him thus to do. Christ was n● only to be the Physician, but the Physic to● all the sanative virtue by which Souls who● sin had deadlily wounded, might be cure● must proceed from him: there must ther● fore be such a virtue in him; and there m●● be an infinite fullness of it, that it might extend to all sin, and completely heal Sinners o● i●. He must be able to save to the uttermost, Heb. 7. 25. And for this he must be a Divine person, clothed with an Humane nature, and in that nature he must accomplish all that which was necessary for the fitting of him unto this great work. Now this he did in his state of Humiliation; the application of this belongs especially to his Exalted State, Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted, etc. to give Repentance to Israel, and remission of sins; but he laid in for it in bis humbled state, which was therefore introductory to the other, as we are told in Phil. 2. 7, 8. 9 In this he made the atonement, without which Gild could never have been removed; hitherto belongs that, ● Cor. 5. 21. He was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God through him, in this his blood was made cleansing blood, for the purifying us from all our iniquities, according to, 1 Joh. 1. 7. The Blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin.  
3. That the Reason of this was, because there were some that needed it, whom God purposed to make partakers in the benefits of it. As, if man's sin had not brought him to that exigency, that without such a fountain he must have perished for ever, Christ had not come; so, if God had not resolved to impart the efficacy of it to some such necessitous ones, he would never have been at the charge of providing it. God did not only intent the provision and exhibition of this fountain, that so if any would come to, and make use of it, they might be saved from their Sins by it; if that had been all, Christ had died in vain; for it is certain that none of fallen men would ever of their own accord come to him: that is true of all, till Christ draws them, Joh. 5. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life: The natural man loveth his Sin, and delighteth to wallow in the mire of his uncleanness; but God chose some from eternity to be made the monuments of his rich Grace, in taking away all their iniquities; and he provided Christ for this end; and therefore all such he designed this for, shall come to Christ, J● 6. 37. All that the father hath given me, sha● come unto me; they shall be cleansed, and washed and healed▪  
4. That they may partake in this benefit, there must be a saving application of the virtue of it t● them. These waters quench the thirst of the Soul, by being drank of; they wash off the Gild and filth which cleaves to the Soul, by being washed with them; they heal the mortal diseases which Sin had infected ●● withal, by the influence of the sanative virtue of them on the Soul. It is not enough that they have all these good qualities ●● them: the Gospel therefore acquaints us with an Application consequent upon the Redempti●● wrought out by Christ, whereby he becomes ours, and we are saved by him; and hereupon life is restrained to our having of Christ▪ 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.  
5. It is savingly applied to those only who com● to him by saving faith in him for it. Faith is the uniting Grace by which we are made one with Christ, and receive him to be our own for all the ends of his Mediatorship. This therefore is the great Gospel condition on which Christ is offered to be made ours, and we are given to understand, that if thus we do not receive him, we shall not partake in his saving mercies; Mark 16. 16. He that believes shall be saved, and he that believes not shall ●e damned. And as faith comes to Christ, so it draws the waters out of this fountain, it fetcheth in supplies from Christ continually, Heb. 10. 38. The Just shall live by his faith.  
6. God himself is the Author of this Faith in order to our participation in these benefits. Faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, Eph. 2. 8. God by his Spirit puts this grace into us, and enables us to exert it, and that which he aims at in this, is to bring us to Christ by it, and so give us a title to these living waters, that they may be ours, and we may challenge a property in them, and make use of them for all our occasions continually.  
7. Hence all that do thus come to him shall receive this virtue from him. Whosoever is united unto Christ, the fountain of life, shall live by him: Where God gives faith, he gives all that is connected in the pro●ise with it. All saving good is firmly promised to believing; God therefore on our believing, pardons our sin, the Gild of it passeth off, our persons are freed from Condemnation: and he sanctifies our hearts, by laying a foundation of holiness in us, which though imperfect at present, and mixed with defilement, yet shall in due time aim at entire holiness, without spot or blemish: Hence we have that title put upon believing, Heb. 10. 39 We are of them that believe, to the 〈◊〉 of the Soul.  
USE I. This may serve to Commend Chri●● to the Sinful Children of men, as a desirant object. And surely, there is nothing that 〈◊〉 more set him forth as a suitable and necessary one, than this consideration. In nothing co●● he have been more accommodable to the condition of fallen man, for his relief. Let th● the contemplation of this draw your eyes a● your hearts after him, and render him in y●● esteem most precious and desirable. And ● this end Consider.  
1. You are all by nature under the Gild and ● filement of Sin. This is the state of all mankind and indeed, if we look upon Sin in its relations, it will infer this. As it relates to the ●●venant of works, and the Sanctions of that, ● it involves Gild; Sin is the Transgression of ●● La●, and that Law hath ordained Death to ● the wages of every Transgression of it, Rom 6. 23 The wages of sin is Death. And by virtue of this Ordination; the Sinner is held a fa● Prisoner of the Law, obnoxious to destruction. And if we look upon Sin as it relates ●● the Sanctity or purity of the Law of God, ●● it pollutes the man, stains him with uncleanness Now there is none of you but besides the imputation of the Gild of the first Transgression have a corrupt fountain of Original Sin in yo●● and innumerable actual pollutions, which you have made yourselves odious withal: hence that, Prov. 20. 9 Who can say I have made mine ●●art clean, I am pure from my sin?  
2. Your misery is unconceivably great whiles you are under the Dominion of these. Indeed all man's misery began upon his Sinning: and ●here are two springs from whence all this infelicity flows, viz. Gild and Filthiness, nor can ●● be taken off but by the removal of these. And one would think the greatness of your misery, should rouse you up to seek a deliverance from it: and you may know that it is incomparably great by viewing the effects of ●●, which are;  
1. By Sin you are exposed to the whole Curse of ●● Law. And that is of the very nature of Gild that attends upon Sin, before it is pardoned; for Gild is nothing else but the binding of the curse upon the Sinner: And did you but know, or would you but look over and ponder upon the contents of the Curse, as it is recorded in the word of God, it would certainly fill you with terrors: It is contracted in a narrow word, Death, but if that word be spread abroad, and all the contents of it laid open to view, they will fill a prodigious Roll, such as that described in Zech. 5. 2, 3. All the Evils of Loss and Sense which the Sinner can undergo, belong to it; all the sorrows that can betid ●ither the body or the soul, are engrossed in it; all the punishments in this life, and in a●● their world, relate to it: it hath its inchoated in time▪ and the consummation of it is reserv● for an amazing Eternity. This is your porti●● because of Sin; for all the wrath of God abide on you, Joh. 3. 36.  
2 By Sin you are become vain and unprofitable● and this ariseth from the Uncleanness that adhere to it. For such a Creature as man, to live a●● be in vain, is an inexpressible misery; he●● that complaint, Psal. 89. 47. Wherefore hast t●● made all men in vain? It is acknowledged ●● all hands that man's formal happiness con●● in Eupraxy or well doing; it was therefore his great privilege that he was made at ●● every way fitted for it, Eccl. 7. 29. God ●● man upright. David observes that in keeping ●● Commands of God there is a great reward, Ps●▪ 19 11. To glorify God is an happy employment; but Sin hath stripped you of this pow●● and le●t you utterly unable for it, Rom▪ 3. 2● All have sinned, and fallen short of the glory ● God. And this hath brought the title o● V●● upon man, because by it he hath lost the e● that he was directed to, and made for; a●● thus ha●h Sin put you below the most bru●i● of bruit Creatures, who do all in their station and capacity glorify God: and we● you not most stupid, you could not but ●●terly bewail this infelicity of yours.  
3. There is no remidying of your misery but ● removing of these from you. The man must of necessity be unhappy, so long as there is a Sentence of Death out against him, pronounced ●y the mouth of an holy and just God, and he goes every moment in danger of the execution of it upon him, and the power of the whole Creation cannot rescue him from it; and so it is with every Unregenerate one, Isa. 57 21. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God. Nor can the sinner serve to the noble end of ●is being, so long as he is altogether unclean, ●nd hath nothing on him but wounds, & ulcers, and putrifying sores; whiles he is a slave to impure lusts, he must needs endure a wretched ●ondage, and may well cry out as he in, Rom. ●. 24. O wretched man that I am, who shall de●ver me?  
4. This relief is to be had no where else. You may go through the world, and try every ●hing in it, and whatsoever other help you may possibly find in it, yet in this great case, and only distressing exigence, it can afford you none at all. There is no second being that can take away either the Gild or the ●●lth of Sin: the whole world will not make a ●p●ice equivalent for the buying off the Sentence that is upon you, and afford you Redemption, this is clearly intimated in Psal 49. 6, 7. And the reason is given, Verse 8▪ For their Redemption is precious, and it ceaseth for ever. All your legal courses, will not take away the stain and defilement that is upon you by reason of sin; what saith God to them, Jer. 2. 22. Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take th●● much s●pe, yet thine iniquity is marked before m●, saith the Lord God.  
5. This Fountain will answer both these end● completely. The virtue of it extends hither; and it must needs so do, because God● Infinite wisdom provided it on purpose for this desig●▪ and he cannot fail of his end. David ha● contracted horrible Gild, and polluted himself by his great sin, yet he presumes of being clean from both, if God will but apply this ●● him, Psal▪ 51. 7 Purge me wi●h hyssop, and ● shall be clean: wash me and I shall be whiter th●● the snow. The effectual application of this wil● take away sin so throughly, as if it had neve● been, for we ar● told in, Numb 23. 21 God hath seen no iniquity in Jaco●, nor perverseness ● Israel.  
6. And it stands Open to you for this end, and you are invited to come to it for this purpose God lays before you the matter of conviction of your great Gild and contamination, to make you see your absolute need ●f this fountain; and that this Conviction may ●o● drive yo● to discouraging distress, he bids you come to it, and apply yourselves to obtain the vert●● o● it, and tells you what wonders it shall d● for you upon this account, Isa 1. 16. with 1● Wash you, make you clean, etc. Though your sins ● as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as w●ol. Bless God for this discovery, and neglect not to make this use of it, if you love the life of your Souls.  
USE. II. We have here a Rule by which we may Try whether we have a true interest in this Fountain. And it very highly concerns every one to put himself upon this trial; for Consider;  
1. If you have no title to it, your condition is very fearful. That Si● and Uncleanness under the efficacy whereof every unregenerate man abides, is certainly destructive to him: either it▪ must be taken away, or it will work your eternal ruin. This is employed, when God invites them to Repentance under that encouragement, Ezek. 18. 30. So iniquity shall not be your ruin. If this fountain had not been prepared and opened, we had all perished without hope: and though there is a good hope set before all such as are pointed to it, and bidden to make use of it, yet if you do not comply with this offer, and receive Christ according to the tenor of it, you will miss of the benefit, and be undone for all. Christ expressly told them in▪ Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. And I am sure, that man who dies in ●is sins is undone to all Eternity.  
2. If you think you have a Title, and are deceived in it, your case is next to desperate. Of all men, there are none that stand in greater hazard of unavoidable ruin, than such as nourish themselves with a good opinion of their sa●● estate, when it is far otherwise. This foste● in them a carnal confidence, which make them to neglect that great duty, of giving all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure, which is required in, 2 Pet. 1 10 This 〈◊〉 all the Convictions that are offered in the Word and Ordinances, and they fly over their heads, as things which they reckon themselves unconcerned in: and this is the reason why Publican and Harlots sooner receive the Calls of the Gospel than such as these, because these think that work is over already. And that there will be such self deceivers we are assured, Luk. 13. 26, 27 Then shall ye begin to say, we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets: but he shall say, I tell you I know you not, whence ye are, &c  
3 If indeed you have a Title to Christ, the knowledge of it will afford you much Consolation. And indeed, what comfort can be comparable to that of one who knows his Name to be written in Heaven, Luk. 10. 20. That man who is in such a case, is happy indeed, beyond all danger of being ever miserable. Surely then, he who knows this to be his condition, cannot but Rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. And for your help in this enquiry; observe;  
1. If this Fountain be yours, you have come to it by a living Faith. It is offered to us in the Promise, and we receive it by believing. No unbeliever can lay any claim to it, but every true believer can. If you have received Christ, you have believed in him, and if you have believed in him, you are the Children of God, and heirs of the springs of Salvation, Joh. 1. 12. As many as received him, to them be gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name. Coming to him, and believing on him are equivalent terms in the Gospel.  
2. If you have come to him by faith aright; there are the things that have attended your so coming, and you must search for them:  
1. Have you been acquainted with the proper end and usefulness of this fountain? True faith is distinguished from false, mainly by the end of it. All that pretend to come to Christ have something that moves them, and which they propose to get by coming; but that which true faith looks after is Life; others possibly have thought they did come to him, but it was only as one who, they hoped, would Save them from Hell: but if you have come rightly to him, it was to have your Sin and Uncleanness done away; and than it was your hearty cry, Hos. 14. 3. Take away all iniquity.  
2. Have you then felt your need of this Fountain for this end? It is apprehended want that driveth Sinners to Christ; and that which hath been their distressing trouble, will be the discovery of what they went to him for. If you have gone to him to take away your Sin & Uncleanness, that hath been your burden, and you have been made to say, as he, Psal. 38. 4. Mine iniquities are gone over mine head; as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. And you have therefore valued this fountain for the virtue of it.  
3. What are the Fruits of your coming? Doubtless that is a great truth which God hath recorded of himself, Isa. 45. 19 I said not unto the seed of Jacob, s●●● ye me in vain. If you have come in faith, it hath had some success. It may be you value all success according as you experience, comforts and assurances coming in upon your seeking to God, and if you want them, you fear that you have come in vain; but this is a mistake in your search. You came to have your sin purged, and if there be any thing of that done, you are so far answered. Are you then more beaten off from your own Righteousness, and made more to depend upon that of Christ alone? Is sin more vile and hateful to you, and do you more loath yourselves for it? If it be thus, than you have your end so far advanced, and be thankful.  
USE. III. Let this serve to direct Sinners in their right coming to Christ, if they would have him be a fountain of saying good to them. Herein only will Christ really profit us, if we may obtain Salvation by him; & there is a so coming to him, if we would have grounded hopes of obtaining this benefit from him. And it is to be feared that many deceive themselves about this, who pretend to a great respect for Christ, and talk much of their trusting in him; but were never rightly informed about him, and that for which he was manifested to us. Would you then come, and speed, and be happy in your coming to him, take these Directions.  
1. Take heed to yourselves, what you come to him for. If you mistake here, you will put a cheat upon your own Souls. Christ indeed is a Fountain, but of what? What was he opened for? that is it which you are encouraged by; and your ends must be the same with his, if you would not be disappointed. Hypocrites pretend much, but they ever impose upon themselves in this regard. If you come to Christ for Credit, and Ease, and Prosperity in this World, you will find yourselves mistaken; he hath assured you that you shall meet with trouble and reproach, and many trials in his Service, Joh. 16. ult. In this world you shall have tribulation; his Kingdom is not of this world If you come to him only to have your Sin pardoned, and not purged away, you will miss of your aim; for though he must apply a pardon to you, if ever you obtain it, yet his Justisication and Sanctification are inseparable; and if you seek not the destruction as well as the remission of your sins, you will find yourselves disappointed. Be sure then to come for the purging away of your sins; that being pardoned, you may Serve him in newness of life.  
2. Come with an insatiable desire after the obtainining this of him. Labour to affect your hearts with the burden and bitterness of sin, and come as those that are weary and heavy laden by it, Mat. 11. 28. God directs to such a sense in order to saving good, Jer. 2. 19 Know and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God. Resolve that you can never be well till this virtue derive from him to you, and let your cries be accordingly earnest, importunate undeniable. Resolve that you will follow him indefatigably, that you will never let him alone, nor give him any rest till he hath savingly applied the waters of this fountain to you.  
3. Come with a firm Persuasion of his Suitableness & Sufficiency. You have seen that there is no such virtue to be found in all the world's waters, now believe that he can do it for you; come as the Leper did, Mat. 8. 2 If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Look then upon him in his Person, in his Offices, and in the great work of Redemption, that was wrought out by him, and see how every way fit and able he is for this work; and let this make you fixedly to resolve that you will go no whither else, but that you will wait upon him, till he shall give you the experience of his love to you in this regard.  
USE IV▪ For Exhortation to the Children of God, who are already made partakers of an Interest in this fountain; in two particulars.  
1. Acknowledge the rich Grace of God to you, in that he hath not only opened this fountain before you, but in you. The former indeed is a great favour, and so to be confessed by all that partake in it; those that have it are highly advantaged, had they but an heart to make a right improvement of it; and if they do not so, they will bring great Gild upon themselves by their contempt. How great a kindness than is this that you share in? and do you endeavour to entertain it with suitable resentments: and there are among others, these two considerations which will greatly help you in your gratitude.  
1. Had not God thus done for you, you had perished in your Sins. You were under the efficacy of sin and uncleanness in your natural Estate, and that held you under Gild and Defilement, and these would have wrought out your certain destruction, if they had not been remedied. There must be a fountain for this▪ else it could never have been taken away, ● fountain of blood for the removal of your Guil●, and a fountain of grace for the purging away of your pollution. None else but Christ could possibly be such a fountain to you; there is an infinite value and virtue requisite to be found in that which can do this for you, which not merely created being could ever attain unto. If this Fountain had not been revealed to you, you could not have partaken in the saving virtue of it, because it is applied by faith: they that live out of the reach of the Gospel Dispensation, die without knowledge; and if it had not been opened in you, yo● had still died in your sins; there are multitudes that do so who have heard of it with the hearing of the ear, because they have not cordially embraced it: if he had not savingly applied it to you, you had refused it as well as others, for you had as great a natural malignity in you against it as any in the world.  
2. What are you better than others who are not thus favoured? The difference that is put between you and them is very great, but who hath made it? When he brought this grace of his unto you, you were dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. 2. 1. When he offered it to you, you regarded it not, but bade him to departed from you; you sought it not of him, but he ●ought you up that he might bestow it upon you; you gave him all the resistance that an heart full of enmity could do. It was Almighty power that brought you unto it, yea possibly you more dishonoured God, by peculiar wickedness, and scandalous provocations, before such time as he thus appeared to you, than a great many have done, whom he yet hath not so favoured. Can you then sufficiciently celebrate his praise?  
2. Be sure to make continual use of it. You will always stand in need of it, and it ever stands open for you to repair unto, and there is a double usefulness which it serves unto.  
1. Repair constantly to it for renewed pardon▪ It was not sufficient that you did so apply to it in your first Conversion; for, though it was then applied to you for the Justification of your persons, yet.  
1. You Sin daily. Though lust be mortified as to the Dominion of it, yet it is not abolished in you, but hath its daily break out: there is a contrary part in you, that is ever and anon bringing you into captivity. We are told, in Eccles. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not; and the reason of it is, because there is a Flesh in us that is always lusting against the Spirit, Gal. 5. 17.  
2. Every Sin offers matter of provo●atinn to God. It is a Transgression of his holy Law; it is an abominable thing to him, Jer. 44. 4. It is that which he cannot endure, Hab. 1. 13. And though he knows our frame, and will not be always contending with us, or▪ break out in his severity for every frailty of ours; yet there is occasion offered him for his anger, and we must confess with him, Psalm 130. 3. If thou Lord, shouldst mark iniquities; Oh Lord, who should stand?  
3. Hence it calls on you to seek of him Forgiveness. And this is at least, one main reason, why we are daily and on all occasions to renew that petition, Mat. 6. 12. Forgive us o● debts: And hence how often have we David ask pardon of God, though he was in a state of Justification?  
4. Here only can you obtain it. You must come to the fountain for it. Whensoever Gods ancient people fell into any sin, there was a Sacrifice presently to be offered for Atonement, in order to its being forgiven: and if we sin, we must go to this Advocate, and make use of him as our Propitiation, 1 John 2. 1, 2.  
2. Address him continually for the washing of Sanctification. They that are Sanctified, must be Sanctified again; they were so for whom the Apostle prays, 1 Thes. 5. 23. The very God of peace Sanctify you wholly, etc. There is yet a body of death in you, a fountain of uncleanness: and there are the eruptions of it in your actions, which de●ile you, and you want washing. Hence,  
1. Come hither by the Repentance of faith, upon every notable defilement. Are you overtaken with any Temptation which draws you into the mire? let this drive you to the fountain for cleansing: and this must be by the renewal of Repentance: thus did David, Psal. 51. 7. And this is the only way to purify yourselves, which is the care of every believer, 1 Joh 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, as he is pure.  
2. Wash in it daily for your daily pollution. There is a defilement that cleaves to every thing we do: when we are never so careful to ourselves, Sin in us will pollute our best Services. Paul complains, Rom. 7. 21. I find a l●w, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. This therefore should bring you to Christ continually for cleansing.  
3. Be evermore fetching from hence all the Grace you need to perfect you in Holiness. Let the sense of remaining corruption, put you upon the exercise of renewed and progressive Sanctification; for which you must repair to this fountain of Grace, and apply the promises by which you partake in it, to this end, according to, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. And never cease from the pursuit of this work, till sin be no more in you, and grace be arrived at its full degree of perfection.   

DOCTRINE V There will be a more peculiar Opening of Chri●● as a Fountain of Life, when the JEWS shall be Called.  
THat the Prophecy contained in this and the foregoing Chapter, hath a speci●● respect to that Nation, who were the Posterity of Abraham, according to the Flesh, is generally agreed on by Christians, and acknowledged by their own Writers; and that wh●●soever Earnests there have been, yet th● complete accomplishment of it, is still to come.  
There are two Propositions in this Doctri●● which may be briefly illustrated, viz.  
1. That there is a great and general Calling ●● the JEWS yet to come.  
2 That when that time comes, there shall 〈◊〉 more peculiar Opening of this fountain.  

PROPOSITION. I.  
That there is a great and general Calling of the JEWS yet to come. As there was a time whe● God rejected them, for the horrible contempt which they cast upon Christ and his Gospel in which they were made a scorn and a reproach to the world, and were dispersed fro● one end of the earth to another; so there 〈◊〉 a time come when there shall be a National return of them to God, and they shall accept of Christ for their Lord and Saviour. The ●ruth of this hath been, and still is denied, and strenuously oppugned by some; and the seemingly long delay of it, hath made many to hesitate about it; and it is not to be wondered at, for Christ predicted, Luk. 18. 8. When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith ●● the Earth? Which some have interpreted to have a respect to the belief of this truth. But there are others who with as great vigour defend it, and have solidly confuted all the pretended plead against it; and although it be not a Fundamental Article of Sal●ation, yet there is so much of Consolation arising from it to the people of God, in these dark days of tribulation upon the Church of Christ, that it is worth our while a little to refresh ourselves with the speculation of it: And here let me premise, That this truth is purely of Revelation, and the Credit of it depends entirely on the Divine Testimony; we must therefore Search the Scriptures, i● we would know whether it be so. And among many Scripture confirmations of it, give me leave to offer a few Considerations; and to make way to this. Observe,  
1. That there are many texts of Scripture which are to be understood of the Spiritual Israel. The whole mystical body of Christ, made up of both Jews and Gentiles, are frequently called the Israel of God, and the Seed of Abraham This must not be denied; for, as God first Chose that Nation to be a peculiar people to himself; so he hath seen meet to put their Name upon the Church, even in Gospel times: and there are some places that cannot bear another interpretation; See, Gal 6. 16 Peac● be on them, and on the Israel of God. We are told of a Jew outwardly, and one that is s● inwardly, Rom. 2. 28. And in Chap. 9 6. All are not Israel that are of Israel Accordingly there are Prophecies in which Gospel Ordinances are represented under legal expressions, b●● must be spiritually interpreted; such is tha●, Mal. 1. 11 In every place incense shall be offer●● unto my Name, and a pure offering. And so●● think that the last Eight Chapters in the Prophecies of Ezekiel, are so to be understood.  
2. There are Promises made to the Jews which did properly refer to their return from Babylon. There was such a return afforded them after their Captivity by Nabuchadnezzar, and God before hand gave them many supports, and encouraging promises about it, wherein he prefixed the ●ime when, and the manner how it should be brought about; and there are many discourses in the Prophets which had a proper and direct aim at it: we are therefore told how Daniel, by reading of these Prophecies, & making a Calculation from them, cam● ●● know that time to be near its accomplishment, Dan. 9 2. I Daniel understood by books the ●●mber of the years, &c that he would accomplish ●●enty years in the desolation of Jerusalem.  
3. There are Predictions of glorious Things in the Gospel day, that had a special reference to the P●wer and Efficacy of the word in the Apostles 〈◊〉. The bringing in of the Gospel dispensation, and the great changes that were ●rought thereby, was a matter of Admiration, 〈◊〉 was therefore often foretold in the Old-testament: and on this account we are acquainted that these and those things were the fulfilling of such and such Prophecies: particularly, the astonishing giving of the Holy Ghost, appearing in the Fiery Tongues given the Apostles soon after Christ's Ascension, of which Peter gives that account, Acts 2. 16. etc. This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel, etc.  
4. There are Texts of Scripture that have their several degrees of accomplishment. Though there be but one thing that is ultimately designed in them, and till that be brought about, they are not completely fulfilled; yet they shall be exemplified in some preludious Providences, that shall carry in them a Specimen of the same thing; and are, as it were, Earnests of what is to come; and so one and the same word may be said to have been accomplished more than once: though that which it mainly intended is still expected; which might be instanced in dive●s particulars  
Now from what hath been said, we may proceed to the thing in hand: and in general▪ observe, That though there be a Mystical sense in some Prophecies about Israel, yet they go too far, who would restrain all altogether to this, as those do who deny this Doctrine: yea there is a Compound sense in many of these things, and they aim both at the one and the other: and though divers things did refer to the return from Babylon, yet not all, but some look farther; yea even those that engross that in them, have a longer reach in them, many of them: and though some things had their fulfilment in the days of Christ & his Apostle yet others had not, but still remain to be brought to pass; and those which then had a beginning have a greater f●llness behind; and that the calling of the JEWS is one of these will be evident, if we consider.  
1. That there is a Calling of the JEWS mentioned distributively with that of the Gentiles; and therefore it must be literally understo●●, with respect to that Nation, and cannot be restrained to the Mystical body of Christ, which comprehends all of both sorts in it. This is designedly handled by the Apostle in, Rom. 11. The thing he there aims at, is to show tha● God hath not utterly cast off that Nation, an● he argues it from the reason of their being 〈◊〉 o●●, Verse 11, 12. Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbidden, etc. He therefore asserts that there will be a time wh●n they shall be restored again to a Church state, and return into favour with God; for which he also brings Scripture evidence, Verse 25, 26. Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; & so all Israel shall be saved as it is written, etc. Nor can these things be understood Allegorically without violence done to the whole scope of the context.  
2. There is a Calling of the JEWS foretold to be in the days of the Gospel. Their call and return from Babylon was before Christ's coming in our flesh, but there is another spoken of which is to be after that, and therefore God makes mention of doing it a second time, Isa. 11. 11, 12. The Lord shall set his hand again the Second time, to recover the remnant of his people from Assyria, and from Egypt, etc. And he saith that this shall come to pass in that day: which the whole context assures us, is the day of the Gospel after Christ had appeared in our nature: and doubtless whatsoever was Prophesied concerning that People, after their return to their Land must look forward; and many things cannot be understood of any but the Gospel day: and such is our Text and Context; inasmuch as Zechariah was one of these Prophets who Prophesied to the returned Captivity ● and the tenor of this particular Vision of ●i● points us to the day when Christ had been Crucified among them.  
3. There is ●● Calling of the JEWS mentioned▪ that is to be after they had been Rejected, and Dissipated, for their Despising of Christ. And therefore the Casting them off, or unchurching them, and this return of theirs are joined together; yea the Apostle in the forecited Rom. 11. brings this in as a relief against despond●cy, with respect unto t●● former, where he purposely▪ speaks of their being cut off, and 〈◊〉 us that they shall be grafted in again: ●●●ee in particular, Verse. 15, 16. and Verse 24. This also is the Call which our Text points to, a●●● evident from, Chap 12. 10 &c Christ therefore so speaks of their Rejection as that whi●● had a limited time, Luk. 21. 24. Jerusa●● shall be trodden▪ down of the Gentiles, until thimmes of the Gentiles be fulfilled▪  
4. There is a National Calling of them spo●● of. There were indeed many of them effectually Called by▪ Christ and his Apostles, and many that believed in those days; Three th●●sand were added at one time. Acts 2. 41. And Five thousand ●● another time, Acts 4 4 Besides many more upon other occasions; Acts 2. 4. The Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved. But all this while the N●tion stood ●ff, and did no● embrace Christ; that therefore is yet to come On this account the Apostle in, Rom. 11. having in the beginning 〈◊〉 the Chapter proved that they were not utterly cast off, because there were so many called already, proceeds from Verse 11. to t●ll us of a more general return o● them, and assures us 〈◊〉 it shall be All Israel▪ Vers● 26. Not as if every individual shall thus be Saved but the body of that Nation that shall then be living.  
5 There are such things asserted in the word of God concerning this Call, as have never yet been accomplished. The happy state of that forlorn Nation, is so set forth as it never arrived to, after their return from Babylon, till their being ●ut off from being a People by the Romans. To this we may refer the Prophecy in, Isa 65. 1●. to end. And that, Hos. 3. 4, 5. And that, Zech 12. 6, 7, 8. Which must needs refer to times yet unfulfilled, for hitherto they are the most scattered, contemptible and scorned people in the whole World, and have so continued for more than Sixteen hundred years.  
6. To all let me add, That the Providence of God▪ towards them is to be adored, in that they remain to be a distinct People to this day Notwithstanding all the Calamities that have befallen them, and the horrible Dispersions of them upon the face of the Earth, yet they keep themselves a Separate People in Life, manners, and customs, divers from other Nations; which certainly must be for some glorious end designed by the alwise God: and what shall we suppose it to be, but that which is thus fore signified?   

PROPOSITION. II.  
That when that time comes, there shall be a more peculiar Opening of this Fountain. The●● is something to be done in that day, which was never before done in this regard; and that must be with regard to the manner and degree of the manifestation and application of it. We may take a brief account of this affair in the following Conclusions.  
1. That there are happy Times predicted for the Church, after her wilderness estate shall be o●●. As there was a time, when after God had brought his People out of Egypt, they went through the wilderness, in order to their glorious Settlement in Canaan, so we are told of the Gospel Church, that soon after its bei●● called it should go into the wilderness, and ●● there for a prefixed time, Rev. 12. 6. The ●● men fled into the wilderness, where she had a pl●●● prepared of God, that they should feed her ther●● thousand two hundred and threescore days. But God hath promised to it in this world, a mo●e glorious Conspicuous state after these days are ended; and this is celebrated in the four last Chapters of that book: and this by some is supposed to be aimed at in, Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, lea●●● upon her beloved? It being a thing that shal● be very surprising to all that shall observe ●●. Hitherto also may that have a special reference▪ Psal. 85. 3. Glorious things are spoken of thee, Oh City of God.  
2. That these glorious things have not as yet befallen it in their complete Accomplishment. I dare not deny, but that there are some things spoken in the Scriptures concerning the Church of God, that must be referred to the Triumph●●t state of it, and it would be a delusion to apply them to its Militancy. There must also be an allowance made for our supposing the Spirit of God, who condescends to speak to ●s in our own Language, to use Hyperbolical expressions▪ and set forth the better condition of the Militant Church upon Earth, with words borrowed from the state of Glory to which it shall at length arrive: but we must not think that he goes about to delude us with flourishing Promises, and then put us off with low and little performances. There have indeed been wonderful accomplishments for the Church in these latter days, peculiarly since the beginning of the Reformation; but these are little in comparison with the things foretold to be brought to pass; we are therefore to look for a transcendently greater Glory behind, and making haste to appear. Who shall read, Isa 60. throughout, and particularly from Verse 18. to the end. And Chap 11. 6, etc. with many other Prophecies of a like import? he must confess that there is more yet to be expected.  
3. That these days are to be contemporary with the Calling of the Jews, and the fullness of the Gentiles. and the destruction of Antichrist. In what order these shall be brought about, I dispute not; but God will doubtless prepare the way to the destruction of the Man of Sin who stands in the way, by giving an enlarged Commission for the Preaching of the Everlasting Gospel, which shall Call his out of Babylon, and convince the Great Ones of their egregious folly in giving their power to the Beas● and provoking them to reassume it; which Preachign shall also Call in the Nations of the World that at present are Unconverted; by which the JEWS shall likewise be affected, and persuaded to come in with them un●● Christ These things to be sure will be closely connected, and one of them follow upon th● other. The Apostle tells us, Rom. 11. 25. Blindness in part is happened to Israel, till the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; and verse 30. 31. As ye in times past have not believed God, yet now have obtained mercy through their unbelief, even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy, they may also obtain mercy. And now it is that these blessed days shall Commence: and therefore when the Whore is Judged, great Salvations come in, and the Jews are brought in, together with the Gentiles to Celebrate it with their Hallelujahs, Rev. 19 1, 3, 4, 6. And now shall the Sealed Ones, both ●● the Jews and Gentiles appear in their lustre.  
4. That the Happiness of those times will be ●ainly Spiritual. Not but that there will be an External Glory then afforded to the Church of God; that is the time when God will say to Zion, arise and shine, Isa. 6●. 1. Then will that prediction be fulfilled in, 〈◊〉 2. 2. The Mountain of the Lords House ●●all be established in the top of the Mountains, and shall he Exalted above the Hills, and all Nations shall flow to it; and that, Psal. 72. ●. The Mountains shall bring forth peace to the people; and v. 7. In his days shall the Righte●● flourish and abundance of peace▪ so long as the Moon endureth. Then shall Satan be bound, ●●d the haters of God shall feign Obedience, and ●●s enemies lick the dust: Then will that be understood and experienced, Ezek. 28. 24. There shall be no more a pricking briar● unto the House of Israel, nor any grieving thorn, etc. But the great glory of these times will be, that Grace will then flourish, and holiness abound. Christ told Pilate, Job. 18. 36. My Kingdom is not of this world: And Holiness will mainly difference that from all else; it is therefore said of these times, Zech. 14. 20, 21. In that day there shall be upon the bells of the Horses, Holiness to the Lord, etc.  
5. The Spiritual felicity of those days will flow from the more full opening of Christ the Fountain: For,  
1. All Spiritual Good derives from Christ to 〈◊〉. We have none in us naturally; as he purchased for us all that we have, so he consers it upon us: it is of his fullness that we receive, Job. 1. 16. What therefore he gives, we derive from him, and therefore our increases are proportionable to his Communications to us; if he with holds from us, we whither, and go to decay, but if he shall influence us liberally, we shall flourish.  
2. There have been the gradual Communications of this good to the Church and People of God in all Generations. This fountain hath been and continueth opened to some or other o● fallen men from the beginning; and the m●nifestations and operations of it have be●● sometimes more, sometimes less: but the●● will be more of it than ever in these days; yea it will then arrive to a fullness, not of absolute, but comparative perfection.  
3. The glory of these days, in regard of the fullness of the opening of this fountain, will be seen in two things.  
1. In respect of Light. This shall be the evening of the Gospel day, of which we are told, Zech. 14 6, 7. It shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark; but it shall be one day, that shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night; but it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light. The shadows will fly away, and then shall that word ●e accomplished and take place, Hab. 2. 14. The Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea: Then shall all differences in judgement between God's People cease, & that be fulfilled, Zeph. 3. 9 Then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent▪  
2. In respect of Efficacy. The virtue of this fountain shall then appear abundantly; the pardoning and sanctifying influence of it shall ●e to admiration, Ezek. 37. 9 Every thing that ●●veth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live. The Spirit will then mightily accompany the dispensation of the Gospel, and Conversions will not be so rare and dubious as now they are, nor the lives of Christians so barren, but then will those Prophecies have a wonderful accomplishment, Isa. 12. 15, etc. Chap. 35. 10. etc. These are some of the precious things to be expected in that day.  
USE I. This Doctrine affords matter of great Consolation to the Children of God under the present evil days. And truly the promise and faith of these days, have given great light and comfort to God's Children in former times, under the darkest distresses that they met with; how much more may it now do so to us in these times of great Search of heart? If we look on the present state of Christianity in the world, it appears with a black face; and if we stint our speculations here, it will sink us in despondency; but let us look forward, and we may gather abundant refreshment. Consider then,  
1. There are better times yet to come. It is night at present, and the terrors of it are apt to affright us; but the Day will break, and let us refresh ourselves with that consideration, Psal. 30. 5. Weep may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. God hath said in Psal. 125. 3. The rod of the wicked shall not 〈◊〉 upon the lot of the righteous. And the Psalm resolves; Psal. 102. 13. Thou shalt arise, 〈◊〉 have mercy upon Zion; and 94. 14. The L●● will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. The whole Creation groans for this day, and we ought to live upon the hope it, Rom. 8. 19, 23, Nor need we to fear whether it shall be accomplished, for God hath engaged in it; and we are told, Isa. 9 7. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.  
2. It will not be long before these days Commence. Although we cannot tell the day, or month, or year when that time shall be, yet we are fully assured that it is hastening. We are told in the Apostles days, Heb. 10. 37. Y● a little while and he that shall come, will come and will not tarry. How many of the preliminary predictions, of things that were to intervence and make way to it, have already received their fulfilment? and we may expect that God will make a short work of it, when it draws nigh its accomplishment. Nor need the present face of things, though dismal, affright us; or make us think it afar off, for ●ow often is the darkest part of the night ●●st before the day breaks? and therefore the Church acknowledgeth, Psal. 126. 1. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were 〈◊〉 those that dream.  
3. Let us then much ponder of the Happiness of ●●se days, and refresh our weary spirits therewithal▪ The thing is sure, determined, and cannot fail; let then our faith give a present subsistence to the things thus hoped for, and our meditation feed itself comfortably with them: let us for this end consider with great delight of the things that are then to be expected. Then shall the JEWS come over to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they have abjured, Zech. 12. 10. etc. Then will, they ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward; then their Graves shall be opened, and they shall pay homage to their Lord Redeemer. Then shall the Gentiles be called in plenty; then will that word take place, Psal. 2●. 27. All the ends of the world shall remember and ●●rn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee; and that, Hos, 1. 10. It shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, ye are the Sons of the Living God. Then will God gloriously accomplish that promise, Psal. 2. ●. Ask thou of me, and I shal● give thee the Heathe● for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Then will the Su● of Righteousness appear in his Meridian brightness, and dispel the mists of ignorance, error, and superstition; then will that prayer of the Church be answered, Psal. 67. 2. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health to all Nations. Then will all the differences in the Church of Christ be adjusted, and their contentions will cease about the different ways and modes of Worship, which at present not a little disturb the Church's tranquillity Zech 14. 9 In that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one. No● any more shall the noise of hammers and a●● be heard in the building of God's Temple: It will be a very▪ peaceable and flourishing state of the Church, when there shall be neither adversary nor evil occurrent. And shall not the belief of these things revive our fainting spirits, and make us to wait patiently through these dreary hours of trouble?  
USE II. We also have here a Rule by which to judge of the times. Every one is ready to make his remarks on the times that he lives in, & which pass over him, & to judge of them whether the days are good or evil: The generality of men take their measures from the observation of outward Providence; if there be outward peace & plenty, they call them happy days; if outward distress and trouble, they call them evil: but we have a better Rule, and more safe for Christians, and that is, to judge according as this fountain is opened amongst us. The more of Christ that a people enjoy, the happier are they, and the less he is known and acknowledged in his great design of Mediatorship, the greater is the infelicity of such a people; and by this Rule I believe the times are evil in the most places that are called Christian; inasmuch as it is a day wherein the greatest number of those that should preach the Doctrines of Christ, of Redemtion, Justification, Sanctification, and Eternal Life to be obtained by him, and so to be the instruments of opening the Fountain to men; do rather endeavour; to obscure them, by perverting the great Doctrine of ●ustification by his Righteousness alone, and confounding New Covenant Obedience with mere Morality, or a legal Righteousness. How contrary are these things ●o those which will be the glory of the Times of refreshment!  
USE. III. For Exhortation to the People of God in two particulars.  
1. Be Exhorted to Pray much and earnestly for the Conversion of the JEWS. This duty seems to be too much neglected in these days; and possibly one great reason of it is, because the belief of this Article runs so low in the Christian world Be we then roused up to this duty: and there are these Considerations which are very profitable for this end.  
1. The thing is a matter of Faith, and so ● Calls for Prayer. It as a truth not to be doubted of, since God hath given us the assurance of it in his word, and we ought to Receive his Testimony, and thereby Set to our Seal that 〈◊〉 is True. Now the things that we believe, because God hath promised them, and which are future, are such things as are proper for ● to pray for: they are good in themselves, an● worth the desiring; & the strength of Prayer ● in this belief: yea this is the way in which God hath said that he will communicate the good promised to his people, Ezek 36. 37 I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.  
2. They once Prayed for us, we therefore o●● this duty to them. There was a time whe● God only knew them of all the Families of t●● earth; the Gentiles were far off: then the● prayed that we might be brought in to Chris● fold; and among others, Psal. 67. is a Prayer the Church of the Jews on this account: freely then it is but a due requital for us to ●ray for them.  
3. Their Miserable Condition Calls for it. They ●e objects or compassion, and every tender ●eart cannot but condole them: nor is it like ●o be better with them till the happy day of ●●eir Conversion cometh. And well may we ● a like expostulation which Christ, the An●el of the Covenant once did for them of old ●hen in distress, Zech. 1. 12. O Lord of hosts, 〈◊〉 long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem; against which thou hast had indignation.  
4. The Benefit which shall come with their Con●sion to the Gentile Churches, is our great encou●gement to importunity in it. There was no ●itle advantage by their casting off, but the Apostle assures us that their grafting in shall be transcendently more, Rom. 11. 15. If the ●asting away of them be the reconciling of the world, ●hat shall the receiving of them be, but life from ●e dead? Surely then we pray for ourselves, when we pray for them; and one would think that Interest would not lie.  
5. These happy Times are to be ushered in by Prayer. God is well pleased in our Praying for them, Psal. 122. 6. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee. And he hath told us, that such a spirit shall be preparatory to that happy day, and help to bring it in; Isa. 62 6, 7. I have set watchmen upo● they walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. When therefore God shall pour out such a spirit of Prayer on his people in this regard, it will be a blessed Prognostic of that glorious time, hastening.  
2. Let it encourage all that are Godly to lea●e their Children behind them with Faith and Comfort. We are some of us going off the stage, and are very solicitous what shall become of ours when we are gone. There are many sadning considerations that appear in our view, which do sometimes fill us with perplexity; but let such as fear God look through and beyond the present discouragments, and comfort themselves with such thoughts as these: not only do we leave our Children to a good God, a Covenant keeping God, whose truth and faithfulness we may safely rely upon; but it is comfort for us to think that that day is not far off; and though we may not live to see the dawnings of it, yet our Posterity may see the breaking of it, and partake in the happy benefits that it shall bring to the Church of God: to nourish our ●ai●h with the contemplation of the glorious dispensations which there shall be in that day, when God will bring his Church out of darkness, into light, and take them out of the horrible pit, and set their feet upon the ●ock: and then to remember, that the Children of the faithful have a special interest in the blessings of that day, according to the promise, Isa. 54. 13. All thy Children shall be taught of God, & great shall be the Peace of thy Children▪ Let us then in faith do our duty to them whiles we live, and when we die, let us rejoice in this hope, that there are better times coming on, when God shall bring back his people's Captivity; when he who cannot lie, will give being to that precious word, in which he hath made us to hope, Psal. 69. 35, 36. God will save Zion, and will build the Cities of Judah, that they may dwell there, and have it in possession: the seed also of his Servants shall inherit it, and they that fear his Name shall dwell therein.    

DOCTRINE. VI When God hath brought his Chosen to bewail their Sins, especially the Affronts which they have Offered to Christ, and to Pray to him for Mercy, he will then make a gracious Discovery of this Fountain to them.  
THE rise of this Doctrine is from the Coherence of the Text with that which went before. God had promised to pour out such a spirit upon them, Chap. 12. 10 etc. And here he tells us that in that day this Fountain shall be Opened. In the former Doctrine we considered this benefit as it refers to the Church in general, and particularly to God's Ancient people, considered as a People: In this we come to take an account of it as it refers to Persons, and is applied to men in Conversion; which we are to suppose to be included in the former, as the spiritual aim of it. And that we may come at the right sense of this Doctrine, observe these Conclusions.  
1. That there are those whom God hath chose● in Christ, to be made partakers in his saving be●fits. We before observed that if we would take the Consideration of the great affair▪ of Gods grace appearing in the good will that he manifests to sinful man, at the rise of it, we must follow it up to the eternal purpose o● God, in which the whole Scheam of it was laid out. Now in this purpose of his there was a designation of them that should be the subjects in whom this Grace was to shine forth; and accordingly all was accommodated for the illustration of it in such a subject. When therefore the Apostle discourseth of these Spiritual Blessings, he runneth them up hither, Eph. 1. 3 4 According a● he hath chosen us in Christ etc.  
2. That Christ must be Opened to these as a Fountain for Sin and Uncleanness, in order to their▪ being Saved by him. Salvation supposeth something that they are to be Saved from, which is their present misery. He that is under no evil, needeth no Salvation; they are only the distressed that want it, or will be advantaged by it. And this Salvation must be applied to the removal of that from which the evil derives: now that which is man's infelicity derives from Sin and Uncleanness; it is the Gild and the Pollution of sin that hurts them. As therefore Christ is appointed for this, so he must be discovered to them as such a one, how else shall they accept of and entertain him as ●o? which they must do, if ever he profit them; for it is by faith that they receive him, and so are advantaged by him.  
3. That there is a time when God will Open and Apply Christ to these. They are born in their natural estate strangers to Christ, and far from Salvation, Eph 2. 3. We were Children of wrath, even as others. They may live a great while in their Alienation from him, and refuse him, though he offers himself unto them: they ever do so till he comes with power. But because he hath chosen them to obtain Salvation by Christ, he will therefore bring them to this Fountain, and make them to partake in a title to it, and effectual influences of it upon them: Our Saviour hath plumply asserted that in, Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me I● Election hath pitched upon a person, Vocation will without fail, sooner or later find him out, and bring him home.  
4. That in order to his so Opening this Fountain, he will produce the fore cited effects in them, by the power of his Spirit, viz. a spirit of Mourning, and a spirit of Supplication. This is the way in which he makes Christ Effectual in men, for the ends of his being a fountain to them.  
Now for our right taking up of this order, Let us observe in general, That we are considering of such as are converted to God, under and by the dispensation of the Gospel and Ordinances, and the effectual application of them. As for Gods proceeding with Elect● Infants, who die before they are capable o● being so treated, we are not now enquiring after that. Here then more particularly 〈◊〉 these things be considered.  
1. That we must distinguish between the Op●●ing of the Fountain Doctrinally, and Savingly▪ As to the outward discoveries of Christ which are made in the Gospel and Ordinances, they are made to all promiscuously to whom th● means of Grace are sent, and the great truth● which concern Christ and Salvation by him are urged upon them: but where the Spiri● of God doth inwardly reveal Christ in th● Souls of any, and makes them sharers in hi● Salvation, he always brings them to such ● frame: such therefore are the only blesse● ones, Mat 5. 4 Blessed are they that mourn, f●● they shall be comforted.  
2. That we must distinguish between Passi● ●nd Active Conversion. This distinction is generally received among the Orthodox, and ●y all them who acknowledge that there are the Habits of Saving Grace infused into us; in order to our being able to exert Grace in our lives; and the Apostle plainly shows the difference, Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. Passive Conversion than is that Change which is made in us in Regenera. 〈◊〉, by the infusion of all saving Graces into 〈◊〉 of which it is said, 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any ●●n be in Christ Jesus, he is a new Creature. Active Conversion consists in the exerting and exercising of these Graces. The former is ●●one by the Spirit alone; in the latter he ●● operates with us. And we may take from ●●nce this brief accou●t of the present affair.  
1. That Gods Elect do many times long despise the offers of Christ that are made to them ●● the Gospel. God will have his own to know, that their Conversion, as well as their Salvation, is of Grace, and that they have a nature in them as full of obstinacy and enmity as others: he therefore leaves them for a season, to resist his Spirit, and to show the desperate malignity that is in them; and they neglect the things of their peace, ●wit●stand the offers of a Saviour, and quench the motions of the Spirit in them, that accompany the Calls of the Gospel. This Ephraim confesseth of himself, Jer. 31. 18. Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Yea, sometimes violently to oppose and persecute his Church: Such an one was Paul, when a Pharisee, Phil. 3. 6. Touching zeal, persecuting the Church.  
2. That there are some common legal works wrought in the Elect, antecedent to their Regeneration, or Passive Conversion. The Spirit of God is wont to begin with men by Convictions and Terrors, by setting the Law home on their Consciences, which make them afraid: and those are wrought not only in God's Children, but in others also; and the Elect themselves do too frequently stifle these motions, out grow these awakenings, and ret●●● again to their former security: the time of their new birth is not yet come, and God hereby lets them see what enemies they are to their own Salvation, and that if he had not come with Almighty Efficacy to them, they had refused him to their destruction, as well as others. How many such common works have some out▪ grown; and become worse after them? and yet they have had their months in which God hath taken them, because he had an Immutable love for them. See for this, Isa. 57 17, 18. I hide me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart: I have seen his ways, and will heal him.  
3. That all saving qualifications are wrought in them at once, in Passive Conversion. When the Spirit of God comes to produce this great Change in the Sinner, he infuseth into him all his Sanctifying Graces: there is a new man created in him, Eph. 4. 24. There is a perfection of parts, though not of degrees: Sanctification is throughout, 1 Thes. 5. 23. There is therefore no order in the production of these saving qualities in the Soul, but they come in all at once. In Conversion whole Christ is put ●●, it is therefore called a new birth, Joh. 3. 3. And it is the babe of Grace which is born, and it hath all its members entire.  
4. That God draws the man to exert these Graces in Active Conversion, after the manner of a Rational Agent. In the exerting of Grace, the man is not only active, but voluntary too; he acts as a cause by Counsel. As therefore there is the Co▪ operation of God in this, as well as his operation in the former, according to, Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you, to will and to do, of his own good pleasure. So he works upon the Rational Faculties or Powers that are put into man; and having sanctified them, he draws them forth to put the new nature into act, upon sight, deliberation, and with persuasion. He is not drawn to it by mere instinct▪ but he knows what he doth, and why he doth it: he hath a foundation on which he acts every Grace; he knows whom he believes, in, and why he so doth, 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day; and so of the rest. God is therefore said to draw ●s with the cords of a man, Hos. 11. 4.  
5. In this Conversion the Soul betakes itself to Christ by faith, as to a Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness. The great Grace celebrated in the Gospel is Faith, by which we close with Christ for life, wherein we comply with the main Article of the New-Covenant; and therefore Salvation is ascertained to it, Joh. 3. 16. Whosoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. This Grace is not before▪ the others in being, though it leads in the exercise, and doth indeed influence all the other, being that which fetcheth in help from Christ for the acting of them. Now Christ is the immediate Object on whom Faith fi●eth; it believes in him for all the good that it wants, and seethe to be stored in him; and that which draws it so to rely on him, is the discovery it hath made of his sufficiency and readiness to answer its great necessity; which is, to be delivered from the guilt and defilement of sin; and tha● because it apprehends all this to be fountained in him, that it may be communicated by him to all those that stand in need of it; and this it doth upon the invitation given in the Gospel, to all that are oppressed with the burden of sin, to come to him for succour against it.  
6. This Faith is always accompanied with true Repentance. In active Conversion these two Graces are in conjunction. I shall not here meddle with the disputes, which of these two Graces is the first: if we speak of their production, they are together, and so there is no priority of any Grace, they being created in the same instant: if we speak of th●ir production, they are together, and so there is no priority of any Grace, they being created in the same instant: if we speak of the order of nature in their activity, Faith must have the precedency, because it influenceth all the other; for though there is a Legal Repentance before Conversion, yet that which is Evangelical follows upon it, and is no further pleasing to God, than as it is exercised by faith: but in respect to order of time, the man reputes and believes at once, and so they are together. It is a penitent Faith, and a believing Repentance that is exerted; they are therefore conjoined, Acts 20. 21. Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.  
7. For the right exerting of these Graces, there is the exercise of a Spirit of Mourning, and of Supplication. There is a principle of this, or there is such a Spirit habitually put into the man when he is new made, but the improvement of it is in the practising of Faith and Repentance. Here then,  
1. For the exerting of true Repentance, he draws out a Spirit of mourning. In Repentance we turn from sin to God, in which turning, there is not only an abstinence from the outward acts, but a cordial renouncing and forsaking of those sins which we rightly repent of; and for that end we must be made to see them to be evil and mischievous, and that we have foolishly turned from God to them; the genuine effect whereof upon the heart, is to bemoan ourselves by reason of them: and hence the Scripture annexeth mourning unto Repentance, as an inseparable concomitant of ● hence that in, Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning of himself, etc. And for the producing of this mourning, God offers the conviction of the evil and bitterness than is in our sins, Jer. 2 19 Know and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, etc. Now there are two passages to be observed in this mourning.  
1. He bewails all his Sins. Godly Sorrow is for Sin: that is the procuring cause of all the sorrows that poor man is exposed unto, and is therefore that which peculiarly calls for our mourning; and this belongs to that sorrow which the Apostle tells us is so serviceable to true Repentance, 2 Cor. 7. 10, Godly sorrow worketh repentance not to be repent of. It is by this that we embitter sin to ourselves, and stir up in us an hatred of it: for, though sorrow be a mixed Affection, yet it mainly partakes of hatred, which is a separating affection, and makes us to reject the Object of it. Now if this sorrow be genuine, it is universal; it bears a respect to all sin; because if it be right, it is excited by the apprehension of the great evil there is in sin, in the nature, as well as in the effects of it; which evil being in all sin, it must needs extend to all: hence that, Psalm 119. 104. I hate every false way; and where this hatred is, there will be Sorrow for our having hurt ourselves by it, and therein dishonoured God.  
2. He more peculiarly laments the affronts that be hath offered to Christ, who hath been set before him in the tenders of Grace. This therefore is peculiarly remarked in, Zech. 12. 10. They shall 〈◊〉 upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for an only Son, and be in bitterness for him, as one is in bitterness for his first born. Where the Gospel comes, and Christ is exhibited, together with the need that men have of him by reason of ●in; the convictions whereof are laid before men to persuade them of the necessity they stand in of having him to be their Saviour; and men have made light of these invitations which have been given them; they have not been persuaded of their misery by Sin, and brought to accept of Christ to rescue them from it, and have accordingly despised him, neglected him, chosen lying vanities before him, and remained in their unbelief; This is the great provocation under the Gospel, Joh. 3. 19 This is the Condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men choose darkness rather than light. This Sin therefore they shall peculiarly mourn for and resent with the greatest sorrow.  
2. For the exercising of Faith, this Spirit of mourning is ever accompanied with a Spirit of Supplication. The first breathe and break forth of faith, are in prayer. When once Paul was Converted, that is the next news we hear of him, Acts 9 11. Behold he prayeth. This is the first sign by which the new born Christian discovers that he hath life in him. True Prayer supposeth a principle of faith in the man, ●or only such a prayer as is spirited with it, is acceptable to, and prevalent with God, Jam. 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much; compare, Chap. 1. 5, 6. Let him ask of God, but let him ask ●● faith. God hath therefore made it a medium for our participation in the blessings engaged in the New Covenant, Ezek. 36. 37. I will yet be enquired of for this by the House of Israel to do it for them. In which prayer,  
1. He confesseth and bewaileth his sins before God. Confession of sin is, if not an essential part, yet an inseparable adjunct of prayer, by which sinful man addresseth God for mercy; hence the promise so runs, Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy: And for this reason, when God invites back▪ sliders to return, and promiseth them acceptance, he enters that caution, Jer. 3. 13. Only acknowledge thine iniquity. Nor indeed can we rightly come to Christ for a pardon and cleansing, unless we lay open our malady before him; so that there is a tacit confession of Sin in the very petitions that are put up on this account: but God expects that in our solemn addressing of him, we be explicit in it, Levit. 26. 40. If they confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their tres●oss, etc.  
2. He requests his Converting Grace. There must be a root of Conversion in the man, before he can sincerely desire or petition to be Converted; and indeed gracious mourning, confession, and supplication, do follow after that inward and transforming work of the Spirit in the man, Jer. 31. 19 After that I was turned, I repent, and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, &c However, in the actual turning of the Soul to God, the man finds that it is not in his own power to turn himself, but that he must have it given him of God; and accordingly he asks it of him: thus did Ephraim, verse 18. Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; and God directs Israel to use such words, Hos. 14. 2. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; and these cries are drawn forth by the efficac● o● preventing▪ Grace.  
3 He professeth his acceptance of, and reliance upon Christ for Salvation He acknowledge th● that Christ is an All sufficient Saviour, that▪ there is a fullness of virtue in this fountain to take away all Sin and Uncleanness from him: he answers the Call of the Spirit in the Word, and embraceth the promise annexed to it, and Echoes back to it with acceptance and▪ gratitude, as, Psal 27. 8. When then saidst, seek ye my face, ●ine heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek Jer 3 22 Return ye backsliding Children, and I will heal your backslidngs; ●●hold we come unto thee f●r thou art the Lord our God: And t●us is the Everlasting Covenant passed between God and him; now is he United with the Fountain or Grace, and all th● saving virtue o● it is derived to him, and this is the usual method of Divine Grace, i● bringing a Sinner to participate in the saving Benefits which were purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ for him.  
USE I. For Information in two or thre● particulars.  
1. We have here a Rule to judge of the Efficacy of the Gospel in the dispensation of it▪ The● is a great deal of reaso● why the People ● God should observe, not only who enjoy 〈◊〉 Gospel in which Christ is opened to men, ●●d where it is that Christ is most clearly and ●stinctly declared in his whole work; but al● what fruit or efficacy there is of it; how ●r the virtue of this fountain for the ends of ●● being opened, is made evident by the effects ●f it upon men: and though the work of Aprication, wherein Christ is made to us Righteousness and Sanctification, for the pardoning ●●d cleansing of our sin, be a secret work, and ● man can certainly know it of another, except by extraordinary Revelation; and though ●● things which are the concomitants of this, ●●d evidence to it, viz. A spirit of mourning ●●d supplication, are not so obvious, but that ●● may be mistaken about them, inasmuch ● there may be secret Prayer, and bewailing ● sin, that is sincere, and accepted with God, ●hich makes no noise; and there may be a ●ew of much of this, but whether it be sincere, ●●d proceeds from such a spirit given to us, ●● be judged of only Charitably; yet there ● usually so much to be discerned on ●is account, by such as observe the times, as ●ay make the hearts of such as fear God, Glad ● Sad, and many times there are too awful ●idences of the general prevailing of the contrary spirit, by the notorious appearance of ●ch things as are inconsistent with this. If ●e speak on a public account, when God in●●ds to pour out much grace upon a People, he will give a spirit of mourning and prayer and therefore when there is but a little of thi● and much of the contrary to be observe● when it is as, Isa. 22. 12, 13. In that day di● the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth▪ and behold joy, and gladness, s●aying of oxen, an● killing of sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wi●e ● let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall▪ dy● When instead of reforming the sins that a● among men, there is nothing mended, but the● rather grow worse; it saith, that if there w●● a spirit of mourning, it would not be so. A●● when Prayer is neglected; particularly in Families, and there are so many houses without it, as is complained, it is to be supposed t●● secret Prayer is neglected too; and muc● more that the spirit of Supplication is greatly wanting. Nay, though there be many Fas● kept, for the bemoaning of the prevailing s●● making of humble confessions of them u●● God, and ask of his pardon and healing ● yet if this be all, and there is nothing amende● nor is the work of the present day in this regard pursued; it will bespeak, that the day ●o● the plentiful accomplishment of this promit that we have under our present consideration doth not as yet commence. And let serion christian's judge by such Rules, and say, wh●ther they do not see great occasion for Lamentation on this account. The same observation is also applicable to particular persons.  
2. We may hence learn what little reason the ●ost have to boast of Christ as a Fountain of Salvation to them. It must needs be a sad sight, ●o see with what security and confidence the generality do nourish themselves, as if they ●othing doubted of a title to Christ, and life ●y him, and take it amiss to have the reality ●f it so much as questioned, who yet cannot ●ear the test of the truth in hand, but must ●●eds fall before it, and stand condemned by it. ●● it be, as it is, a great truth, that where God applies Christ to men, in the benefits which he ●●th purchased for Sinners, he pours out upon ●em a spirit of mourning and supplication, certainly then, all▪ such as are without such a ●irit, must needs be strangers to such an Application: and without doubt, where such a ●irit is put into men, there will be the exerting ●f it in their lives and practices. When therefore there is nothing of this, but the quite contrary notoriously appearing, such men's ●ith must needs be presumption, and their ●oasting is of a false gift. Think of this then, ●l you who are so far from mourning for ●our sins, that you can live in them quietly & contentedly, nay you Rejoice in iniquity, and ●ke the greatest Satisfaction in gratifying of ●our carnal lusts, who are never well, but when ●ou are Devising mischief on your beds, and putting it in practice as soon as opportunity affords; you that can make a mock of sin, that can Drink your stolen waters, and eat your bread in secret, and wipe your mouths, and say, we have done no wickedness. You that can boast of your lewd pranks, and show your sin as Sodom, and hid it not; you that joy● hand in hand with your lewd companions, and encourage one another in your wicked courses, surely you never had the healing virtue of this fountain applied to you; and to hope to have your sins pardoned, and yet not cleansed, is a vain hope. Think of this also all you Prayerless ones, who instead of calling upon God's name, abuse it, and take it in vain by your profane taking it into your mouths; who can live days, and mouths, and years without so much as a formal addressing of God; whose houses will one day rise up against you, and testify that you never Prayed in them, either by yourselves, or with your families; who never carried your iniquities to God as a burden too heavy for you to bear, and with strong cries besought him to take them away by a free pardon, and powerful purging. Let all such know, that how presumptuously soever you may now cry, Lord, Lord, there is a time coming, if mercy prevent not, when he will say, I never knew you, depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. And be not deceived, for God is not mocked.  
3. This shows us who they are that are like to enjoy the clearest discoveries, and most plentiful applications of Christ to them: certainly they are such unto whom God imparts the largest measure of a spirit of mourning and supplication. Where God intends to build highest, he will lay the foundation lowest. The greatest spiritual mourner's are appointed for the more abundant consolations. They are the humble and contrite whom God delights to dwell with, and to revive, Isa. 57 15. Christ's anointing had a special regard for such as these, and therefore his applications will be eminently made to them, Isa. 61. begin. The Lord hath anointed me, etc. to bind ●● the broken hearted, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, etc. Doth God then bring you into Godly Sorrow? Doth he make Sin bitter to you? Doth he fill you with grief at, and cause you deeply to bewail your Sins before him? be not discouraged, but take i● as a good Omen, and wait for the Consolations of his Spirit; remember what he hath said, Psal. 126. 5. They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. It is also certain, that when God excites in us an heart to pray to him, and fills us with ardent desires, and groans unutterable, after him for his grace, for his pardoning, for his cleansing of us, and we cannot let him alone; it is a sign that he hath great mercies to bestow on us, which in this way he will communicate to us. God, who hath promised that his shall pray unto him (and it is he who giveth prayer to his own) hath assured us of a gracious audience, and a good return to our prayers, Jer. 29. 12, 13, 14. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you, and ye shall seek me and find me, etc. Be not then discouraged; and though you may not at present experience those sensible apprehensions of the efficacy of the Fountain, for the taking away of your Sin, yet doubt not that God will in the best way do it for you, and give you the experience, of it to your abundant Consolation. God will exalt his Grace on you in this way, and make it to appear how great is his kindness to you, in taking off your Gild, and washing away your pollution: And when you are suitably prepared so to glorify him, he will fill you with the discoveries of his love, for which you shall admire him for ever.  
USE II. For Examination, Let us hereby prove whether ever this Fountain were savingly Opened to us, and it concerns all to put themselves upon this Trial. For Motive then, Consider,  
1. You are all by Nature under the guilt and defilement of Sin. Sin and Uncleanness are hereditary to all Adam's Children, and they derive to them in the Channel of Natural Generation; for this we are told, Eph. 2. 3. We ●e Children of wrath, even as others; and he demands and resolves, Job 144 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. This then is the condition in which every one is born. Adam's First Transgression was ours by a legal Imputation, and his corrupt Image which he contracted, instead of God's Image which he lost, is ours by Propagation; and thus we come into the world guilty and filthy Creatures, Psal. 51. 5. Behold, I was shapen in ●●iquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me. And this Gild and Defilement are increased by all the actual sins that we have committed since we came into the World.  
2. Except this be done away, it will be your ruin. All Sin in its own nature and operation is deadly. Sin and Death are closely connected each with the other, Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin came into the world, and death by sin. The guilt that ahderes to sin binds the man under the Curse, and that is Death, Ezek. 18. 4. The Soul that sinneth, it shall die. The Law ●●ath already past the Sentence upon the man, and unless it be removed it will without fail take place on him: and the defilement of sin is itself the very spiritual death of the Soul: it hath deprived the man of the life of Sanctification, and he can no more perform a gracious action, than a dead man can a life action; hence that expression, Eph. 2 1. Ye were dead in trespasses and sins. So that as long as it abides on him, he cannot at all answer the end of his Creation.  
3. Nothing else can do it for you but this Fountain. There is a sufficiency of virtue in it for this end; God provided it for this very purpose, and he doth nothing in vain: it therefore never failed of producing this effect, where it was savingly applied. But except you repair hither, all your other attempts will prove lost labour: this Salvation is not where else to be had, Acts 4. 12. There is nothing else that can expiate the Gild of sin, or make atonement to the Justice of God for the remission of it, but this one Sacrifice of Christ: thousands of rams will not procure it, God therefore blows upon them with contempt, Mic. 6. 6, 7, 8. Nor will all the waters of Abana and Pharpar cleanse this Leprosy; it is only the Blood of Christ is cleansing, and that Blood doth cleanse from all sin, 1 Joh 1. 7.  
4. Except it be applied to you it will not have this saving efficacy. Christ doth not profit all▪ although his virtue be sufficient, yet all are not pardoned and healed by him: there are multitudes that perish in their sins notwithstanding; and that not only of those to whom he was never revealed in the Gospel, but of such also, who have been told of, and invited to come to him: and whence is this, but because application hath not been made of him to them for this end? Sinners that are outwardly called, perish as well as others, and the reason ● because they do not answer the Call, and come to the waters, the threatening is therefore declared against such, Prov. 1. 24. etc. Because I have called and ye refused, etc. I will also laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear 〈◊〉, etc.  
5. Till than you know that he hath been thus applied to you, your condition must needs be dubious. It is from the work of Application that we ●●e to fetch our evidence of our safe estate. It is not enough that there is a Christ, and that he is a Fountain of Salvation, but is he ●●rs? for this reason Professors are put upon it to prove and try themselves; and the enquiry is not, whether there be such a Fountain, and there be a fullness in it, but whether Christ be in us, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not your own selves, how that Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates? And hence we have such an expression, Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of Glory. And though, if the thing be so, your state is out of danger, yet till you know that it is so, you cannot enjoy inward quiet or satisfaction.  
6. There are many who cheat themselves with false hopes on this account. The natural security in sinful man, makes him ready to take easy satisfaction about his good estate; and the delusions of Satan, and the false reports of a carnal mind, and the fair shows which there are in a common work of the Spirit, a● snares which they are entangled by: there ● upon this account great need to be cautione● against rash presumption, lest otherwise you labour of a pernicious mistake; thus the Apostle to them, 1 Cor. 6. 9 Be not deceived.  
7. The Doctrine in hand affords you a sure Rule of Trial. Whatsoever difference there may be, in the manner or degree of mourning, o● of the impressions which are made on th● Conscience, by the Terrors of the Lord; yet▪ when God makes the Gospel effectual for the application of the virtue of this Fountain to a Sinner, he always gives a Spirit of Mourning and Prayer; i. e. He gives Grace to mourn and pray after a Godly manner: If therefore you can discover this to be in you, and are not mistaken about it, you have an evidence that will not deceive you. Put yourselves then upon the trial of them severally, and that by such Rules as follow.  
1. Hath God poured upon you a Spirit of mourning for Sin? have you received the Grace of God by sorrow? And for proof of this,  
1. Did you ever mourn at all for Sin? if not, this Trial is resolved at once. He that never mourned for sin, did never partake in the saving virtue of this fountain: and it is to be feared that a great many forward Professors will fall at this first Trial. There are many that build high, but did never dig for a foun●tion. The stony ground hearers Religion begins with joy, as, Mat. 13. 20. He heareth ●e word, and anon with joy receiveth it. It may ●e you have mourned for the fruits of sin, for ●our outward losses, bereavements, reproaches, pains, etc. but it hath not been the Sin that procured them, but the things themselves ●hat stirred up your sorrow: and if the Sin it ●elf was not bitter to you, you never repaired ●o the Grace of Christ to take it away.  
2. Have you mourned after a Godly sort? It may be you have been touched with remor●es of Conscience, & Sin hath been set home upon you with terror: but that may be, and yet be only a part of the punishment of Sin in this life: there is therefore a double sorrow for sin, Godly and Worldly: 2 Cor. 7. 10. And is yours a Godly one? Try it by these things.  
1. Have you ever felt the bitterness of Sin itself? Many an one finds sorrow by his sins, and is forced to acknowledge that his Sin hath brought it upon him, who yet is not led by it to see and believe that Sin is in its own nature so vile and evil as to be odious. It may be he only reads it in the Law, and he sees that God will maintain his own Law; but mean while he lays the blame, not on the sin that procured his sorrow, but on the Law that had such a Sanction in it: and he is therefore sorry for his sin, only because he is sorry that there is such a Law, that will not suffer him to si● with impunity: this is no Godly Sorrow: it ●● not acted by Humility, but by pride an● prejudice; and he saith as they, Ezek. 33. 10▪ If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, an● we pine away in them, how shall we then live?  
2. Have you been deeply oppressed with the burden of siri, so as thereby to be made weary of it? Though God improves the troubles and mischiefs procured by Sin, to bring us to see the evil of it, and cry out by reason of th● bitterness there is in it, yet in a kindly mourning, sin itself is made to be a burden that we cannot tell how to bear, and hereupon we long to be rid of it, and earnestly seek after a freedom from it; thus it was with Paul, Rom. 7 24. Oh wretche● man that I am, wh● shall deliver the from the body of this death? We seek a par●●●, for we are undone without it: but we ●eek the death of Sin too, nor can we be at quie● but in the assurance and experience of the beginning of it in us, and a comfortable perswa●●on that it will ere long be wholly destroyed: hence that groan of his, Psal▪ 38. 4. Mine iniquities are gone over mine hea●, as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.  
3. Hath your mourning reached to, and fined upon the sin of your nature? It is not enough to have bewailed this or that particular actual Sin, although God usually makes the conviction ●f, and the sorrow for such, to be leading to ●he other: but he that hath truly mourned for Sin, hath been led up from thence to the fountain of corruption which is within, and that hath driven him to seek after the Fountain of Grace which is in Christ: and always true mourning ceaseth not, till it cometh hither, and lays out its greatest lamentations here: thus it did in David, in the forecited, Psal. 51. 5. And in the Church, Isa. 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing; and in Paul, Rom. 7. 21. I find a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me▪  
4. Hath this sorrow wrought in you unto a true Repentance from Sin? Repentance is one of the saving works of the Spirit wrought in Application: and wherever Christ is communicated to any as a fountain of Grace, there will be this effect of it. Now Godly Sorrow is an ingredient of this Repentance, and therefore if it be right, it will ever accompany such a thing. Repentance is a cordial turning from Sin to God: Sorrow for sin is that which helps and promoves this turning, if it be kindly; for it is a separating Affection, and as it derives from hatred of that which procures our trouble, so it will express it, in carrying us away from it; hence that, 2 Cor. 7. 9 Ye sorrowed to Repentance, for ye were made sorry after a godly manner. I● than ye have mourned never so bitterly for Sin, yet if you have not reached to such a Repentance, it hath not been right, nor will it evidence your being in Christ.  
5. Hath this sorrow kindled in you an universal hatred of Sin? When God embitters sin to us, it is to make us to loathe it; and if this hatred be of the right stamp, it will not only be against that one sin that hath done us the present sensible harm, but all of the kind, but every thing that bears the nature of sin on it; we can say as he, Psal. 119. 104. I hate every false way. And the reason is, because▪ if we mourned for sin under the consideration of its being sin, we shall be engaged against every other sin, in which we see the same grounds of hatred or detestation. He that mourns for one sin, and can in the mean while hug another in his bosom, and dally with it, doth not mourn aright for any.  
6. Hath your sorrow looked back to the sins of Youth? Where God doth indeed give a spirit of mourning, he will make a thorough work of it, he will lead the Soul into a soaking consideration of all that hath been grievous to his holy spirit; he will bring to mind old sins, & those that had been forgotten before, and embitter them to us, and the reason is because those sins also must be repent of, for which there must be a suitable sorrow. Time will not wear off the Gild of any sin, but Christ must cleanse it with his blood, and in order thereto we must carry it to him for cleansing; and we cannot do so aright, but by bemoaning ourselves before him for it. David therefore in his address to God runs up hither, Psal. 25 7. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.  
7. Have you in you an habitual frame of spiritual mourning? Godly sorrow is not a land-flood, that is raised by some storm, and is dried up again soon after that is over, but it is a living spring, it is an habitual Grace in the Soul, and for that reason it is called a Spirit of Grace, Chap. 12. 10. And this appears in a constant promptitude to mourn for sin upon every occasion. Every sight of sin stirs up this Godly sorrow. When ever you feel any stir of Concupiscence within, it makes you to cry out, Oh wretched man, who shall deliver me, Rom. 7. 24. If at any time you are over taken with any sin, it makes you to groan, and bewail yourselves, and say as he, Psal. 38. 18. I will declare mine iniquity, I will be sorry for my sin. Nay, if you see others to sin, though they commit it without remorse, yet you cannot but mourn for it, as he, Psal. 119. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law. And Verse 158. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved, because they kept not thy word.  
8. Have you been duly affected in particular with the Affronts which you have offered to Jesus Christ? This is specified, Chap. 12. 10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, & they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son, and be in bitterness for him, as one that is i● bitterness for his first born. There is nothing more bitter to one that is truly Converted, than the ill entertainment that he hath given to a Saviour, who came to him, and offered himself to be one to him. It may be you have led a sober life, and cannot charge yourselves with the immoralities which others have fallen into: but you have lived under the Calls of the Gospel, and have been many a time invited, and solicited to come to Christ, to take him for a Saviour; but you have made light of it, neglected him, been content without him; you have often been inwardly striven with by the motions of the Spirit, but you have quenched them, and grieved him thereby: You have lived in your unbelief and been contented so to do; you have had a low esteem of him, and of his Salvation; you have relied on your own Righteousness, and not submitted to his; you sought him not, would not come to him for life; and thus you went on from year to year, till he came to awaken and bring you home to himself Now all these things come to mind, and they carry an emphatical consideration in them to make you vile in your own eyes, and bewail your impenicence. If ever you looked to Chris● with an eye of faith, it hath been with a mournful eye.  
2. Have you experienced a spirit of Supplicati●? We observed that it is inseparable from ● former: and would you be rightly in●med about this, prove yourselves by these ●ings.  
1. Have you found kindled in you a restless ●esire to be delivered from Sin? True prayers ●e the offering up of our real and cordial de●es unto God; and hence by discovering the ●uth of our desires, we may come to know ●hat our Prayers are. Now there is none ●at prays aright against sin, but he that longs ●satiably to be rid of it. There are many 〈◊〉 pray to have those miseries removed which ●ey undergo for sin; but this is but Howling, ●d not Praying: that is a right expressing of ●ur request on this account, Hos. 14. 2. Take ●ay all iniquity. But the heart must go with ●● which it will never do, till we are weary ●● sin, and the presence of it is an heavy bur●en to us.  
2. Have you found that this deliverance is no ●here else to be had? The right prayer, which ●od hears and accepts, is the prayer of the ●edy, the poor, and the destitute, Psal. 102. 17. Christ's Office is to Secure him that hath no ●elper, Psal. 72. 12. As such therefore he exacts that we come, saying as, Hos 14. 3. Ashur all not save us, etc. For in thee the fatherless cleth mercy. And that we may thus pray, it requisite that we have a deep sense imprinted on us, that this is our condition. God makes the Soul to despair of any succour from any other hand, he is not only in a pit where ther● is no water, but his eyes fail him, Isa. 41. 17. He finds himself to be engulphed in the waves o● destruction, and cries out as they when jus● ready to be swallowed up, Math 8. 25. Lord save us, we perish.  
3. Have you been encouraged to go to God I● Prayer for this with hope? A spirit of Supplication is a gracious frame, that is put into the heart by the spirit of God; and there are the Graces that are used in the exerting of it: the principal of these is Faith, and the first stirring of it is usually in Hope; which hope is always at work, and moveth in the genuine prayers o● the people of God. This hope hath not always alike strength in it; but yet it hath tha● degree of it, whereby we are enabled to loo● with some expectation of receiving the good we ask for, at the hands of God. In you● distress by reason of sin, you resolved to go to God for help against it; and what was it tha● drew out this resolution? was it not an apprehension that Christ was such a ●ountain fo● sin, and at least a resolve that the thing i● not impossible; thus therefore he argued, J●● 3 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, & turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not  
4. Have you freely confessed your sins in the Aggravations of them? Right con●ession always ●●ows from a spirit of Prayer. God expects it, Jer. 3. 13. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, etc. David therefore tells us in what way he went for, and how he obtained a pardon, and the healing of his sins, Psal. 32. 5. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. And this confession hath been full and free, and without any covers; for he there saith, Mine iniquity have I not hid. It is a false heart that petitions help against sin, and in praying for it pleads excuses and extenuations: This proceeds from ● spirit of bondage, and not from a spirit of Adoption.  
5. Have you humbled yourselves to God's foot in your Prayers to him? A spirit of Prayer is a Soul humbling, a Soul-abasing spirit; hence that, Psal. 9 12. He forgetteth not the cry of the humble: and 10. 17. Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. He that prays as he ought to God, for pardon and acceptance in Christ, is deeply sensible of his great vileness by reason of sin, and of his utter unworthiness of mercy; and hence he goes with ● rope on his head, and sackcloth on his loins, i. e. He re●●gns himself to God, with all the Testimonials of his acknowledging that he hath no dependence on any thing but free Grace; that he hath nothing of his own, nor can he oblige God, he therefore carries that with him in, Dan. 9 8. 9 To us belongs confusion of face; to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, And his address is in that form, Psal. 25. 11. For thy name sake O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.  
6. Have you Prayed for the Purging as well & as earnestly as for Pardon? Doubtless he that knows what it is to be Guilty before God, will be very importunate in ask forgiveness, and well he may, for who can stand before God's ange But a kindly resentment of Gild, so as to justify God who condemns, will be accompanied with an apprehension of the vileness of sin; and that will make us weary of the presence of it, and to loathe ourselves for it, which will draw out our cries to have it taken away; both these therefore are included in that, Ho●. 14 2. Take away all iniquity.  
7. Are your Prayers importunate, or in good earnest? There are many that pray in good words, and it may be with much of noise too, and yet not from a Spirit of Supplication: they are not importunate and cordial requests which they put up. He that is in earnest, will take no denial, but will press with greatest urgency and resolution: One of the Ancients complains of himself, that when he prayed against his Lusts, he was afraid lest God should answer him: this was not from the Spirit of Grace; and if you are in good ●arnest, you will watch the answer of your prayers, to see what return there is of them▪ Psal. 85. 10. I will hear what God the Lord will say. 100LS. 5. My Soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning:  
8. Do you persevere in Prayer? As it is the duty of all God's People so to do, Eph. 6. 18. Praying always, etc. watching thereunto with all perseverance. So it is one property of the Spirit of Prayer, and there is a double perseverance to be eyed in this; you are constant and unwearied in your duty, you pray without ceasing, 1 Thes. 5. 17. You resolve as, Psal. 116 2. I will call upon him as long as I live. And you hold on in it against all that would discourage you. If you have not a present answer according to desire, it doth not beat you off; but quickens your ardour, and you say as, Isa. 8. 17. I will wait on the Lord, who hideth his face: If he repulse you, you turn his very repulses into arguments, as that poor woman did, Mat. 15. 25, 26.  
9 And doth the sense of sin always drive you to Prayer? Do your Consciences at any time reflect, and charge Gild on you? Doth this always bring you upon your knees, and cause you to pour out your hearts in supplication? Do you find the stir of inward Concupiscence, and the Law in your members warring against the law of your mind? What course do you take to get it mortified? Is prayer now not neglected? These are the motions of a Spirit of Supplication in a Child of God. This course we find David is on all occasions taking in the Psalms.  
USE III. For Exhortation, in several particulars.  
1. Let this point awakened Sinners in what way to seek after Christ. Certainly, when God sets Sin home upon the Conscience of a Sinner, it calls aloud to him to repair to the fountain. And would you go to it, so as to participate in the saving efficacy of it? then,  
1. Do it mournfully. Dry addresses to God are insignificant things, and will find no acceptance. Beg of God then to bestow such a Spirit upon you, and labour to express it with all suitable deportment. Labour therefore to embitter your Sin to yourselves, with all the proper considerations that may make it vile, and fill you with the deepest sense of your misery by reason of it. This is the only way for you to give God his glory both of his Righteousness in condemning you, and his rich mercy in pardoning and healing you. You will never come humbly, unless you come mourning: and this is the way to obtain the blessing from him. God takes distinct notice of this, and he is pleased with it; see, Jer. 31. 18, with 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, etc. Is Ephraim my dear Son? etc. And we find that Christ was anointed purposely for the relief of such, Isa. 61. begin.  
2. Do it with Supplications. If ever God giveth you the experience of the virtue of the Fountain in you, for the taking away of your Sin and Uncleanness, he will make you to pray for it; he hath said, Ezek. 36. 37. I will be sought to, etc. Seek his face and favour, confess your sins, and keep not silence; seek to him in Christ's name, and present your petition before him: this is the right returning to God, Joel 2. 12. By thus doing you will acknowledge Christ to be the Fountain of Grace, when you do seek it of him, and call upon him for it. And for your encouragement, know it, that if you do indeed thus seek him, you shall find him. If a persecuting Saul prays to him, he observes it, and accepts it of him, Acts 9 11. Behold he prayeth. Yea he hath said, Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me.  
2. Let this stir up mourners to pray. Are there any, whose sins are made their burden, and they are in bitterness by reason of them? instead of nourishing despondent and despairing thoughts in you, and making you to hid away from God, let it drive you to him, to seek his face and favour, his pity and pardon: let it draw forth that request from you in Psa. 41. 4. Heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee. This is the fittest posture to pray in, and God is ready to hear such in their Soul's distress, that cry unto him for his help; David puts both together, Psal. 6. 8, 9 The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping: the Lord hath heard my supplication. It is good to come unto God in such a case, and make an argument of it, as he did, Isa. 38. 14. Oh Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me.  
3. Let the Children of God nourish this spirit in them. A Spirit of mourning and of supplication is the proper Evangelical Spirit; it is therefore one of the properties that belong to them whom Christ hath pronounced blessed, Mat. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Nor is it only proper in our first returning to God, but you will have occasion to use it as long as you live: while you carry about with you a body of death, you will never be without occasion for bitter mourning and lamentation; you will see reason to go softly all your days; and as long as Sin stirs in you, and leads you into Captivity, you will need the pity and help of God, the virtue and efficacy of the fountain to derive fresh supplies of pardon and healing to you; and therefore prayer is a duty that you cannot do without; and no prayer is acceptable to God, but what proceeds from such a spirit.  
4. Be we here directed what to pray for, and endeavour to promote in others. We ought to seek and use means for the Salvation of Sinners, and peculiarly for those to whom we are tied by the bonds of near relation; and if ever they be saved, they must repair to this fountain for it; and if they so do, and succeed, it must be with mourning and supplication. Let us then use means to bring them to this, by showing them their need, and showing them where their help is, and how it is alone to be obtained; and let us bring them to God, and ask for them this grace: and if we see them brought into distress, and made to inquire how they may find redress, let us nourish this in them, and not go about to suppress or stifle it.  
5. This calls all those on whom God hath poured such a Spirit, to Thankfulness to him for it. Hath God given us truly to mourn and pray by reason of Sin, he hath done us an unconceivable kindness; there is no greater token of his Everlasting Love; it saith that he hath been laying a foundation for eternal life in us; these tears, and these cries have solid consolation in them; they are his gift, and he gave them to us that so he might bring us to himself, and put us into the way of blessedness. Let this then be one thing for which we praise him, and let this nourish and strengthen such a frame in us, to consider that eternal joy is secured to it, for we are assured in, Psal. 126. 5, 6. They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy; he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.   
FINIS.  
 
Rather than this Page should stand Empty, the Reader may be gratified with the last Clause of Dr. Thomas Goodwin's Exposition of the Revelation: which is as followeth;  
AND for the JEWS Call, which is conjunct with this Killing & Rising of the Witnesses: As it depends not upon ordinary Means to effect it, so there are like to be no Preparations at all unto it, until it comes (as there are not for Things extraordinary) but a Nation shall bring forth in a Day: as the Prophet speaks. And so, in the very Year before it, there will be no more outward Appearrances, or Probabilities of it, than there are now, or than there have been many hundred Years since. And therefore our Faith need not be put off from this, by the seeing as yet no Stir or Motions at all unto it, or towards it. And the Truth is, both the Killing and Rising of the Witnesses, and also the Calling of the JEWS, may fall out sooner than we are ware of.   

Evangelical Perfection. OR How far the Gospel requires Believers to Aspire after being completely Perfect. As it was Delivered on a Lecture at Boston, on June 10th. 1694.  By Samuel Willard, Teacher of a Church in Boston. MATH. V 48. Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. 
IN this Chapter, with the two following an account is given of the substance or heads of a Sermon which Christ preached to his Disciples, in the audience of a multitude soon after he had called them, The matters contained in this fifth Chapter, may be reduced to three heads. [1.] He points the way to true Blessedness, by describing the subjects of it in several distinguishing Characters of them, and declaring wherein the● appear to be really happy, Verse 3. to 13 [2.] He lays open the Office and Duty o● such as would approve themselves to be faithful and edifying Ministers of the Gospel, to Verse 17. [3.] He asserts the great usefulness of the Moral Law, under the Gospel, assuring us that his design was not to Abolish, but Establish it; and thereupon proceeds to Vindicate the true sense of it from the corrupt and false glosses of the Jewish Doctors to the end of the Chapter. In which he insists upon severa● Articles, which had been more especially depraved by them: and the words of our Text are an Exhortation which he draws from the whole foregoing discourse; though I know there are some who needlessly restrain it to the next foregoing duty of expressing our cordial love to our enemies, in opposition to the Doctrine of the Scribes, who taught that we should love our neighbour, and hate our enemy. I know the words are expressed in the Future tense; Ye shall be perfect; but yet they are no● to b● understood Promissorily, as some do interpret them; but Preceptively▪ as an injunction laid upon us. And we have several like instances in this Chapter; yea & it is frequent in all languages to use the Future for the Imperative: You shall do thus or so; intending, require or command you so to do.  
In the words, besides th● Illation, therefore, which refers to the foregoing discourse, there ●e two parts:  
1. A duty enjoined; Be ye perfect. The ●bject of this command are Christ's Disciples, ●rse 1. The thing required is perfection; which, what it is, will be afterward considered  
2. The Pattern which is set before us to allow, in our essays after this perfection; ●● your Father▪ which is in heaven is perfect. So ●at here the Divine perfection is proposed to ●● for our imitation; and an argument is used ●o urge it from the consideration of that rela●ion which he bears to us, he is our Father in ●eaven; and Children are apt to take after ●heir Parents. Hence that, 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16. As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy ●● all manner of conversation; because it is writ●en, be ye Holy, for I am Holy. Here is not an equality intended, but a similitude, together with such a measure as the Creature is capable ●f attaining unto: for the greatest perfections ●f the most excellent Creatures, are imperfe●●ions, compared with God. Nor are all the Divine Perfections here intended: there are ●hose that are by Divines called Incommunicable, ●hich we are to admire, but not to aspire af●er; and there are those which are said to be Communicable: Namely, such whereof there may be an Image, o●●dark representation i● us; and these adhere aimed at. These perfections consist in that Holiness and Righteousness whi●● are required in the Moral Law, u●● to which we are enabled by the Sanctification of the Spirit, the Graces whereof in us ar● called, the Image of God; by which we imitate him in his Holiness, and Righteousness▪ That the Duty here required is Evangelical▪ therein appears, because Christ enjoins ●● on his Disciples, and such as can call God then Father, by virtue of the Adoption, which w● are told cometh in upon believing, Gal. 3. 26▪ For we are the Children of God, through faith i● Jesus Christ.  
The only matter of difficulty before us, is to know what is the perfection intended by Christ in this precept, and which he requires and expecteth that all those who approve themselves to be his Disciples, should be always aspiring after▪ And that which makes it th● more difficult, is because the word is variously used in the Scriptures, and differently applie● by Expositors to this Text. The word signifieth, that which hath attained its end; and▪ because when a thing hath so done, it ha●● reached its perfection according to its capacity▪ it is Metonymically used for it: and so, one tha● is adult, or grown up to his full Stature, is said to be a perfect man, Eph. 4. 13. And the● whose Grace is arrived to its fullness in Glory, are called Just men made perfect, Heb. 12. 23. Divines distinguish perfection into Legal and Evangelical; which is a true distinction, if taken in a sound sense, but is war●● to be understood. They tell us also, that there is a perfection of parts, which is called Integrality; and so an infant is a perfect man, because he hath all the parts which belong to that Speci●●: and of Degrees, when these parts are completed, and come to the just measure which nature aspired unto. They speak also of a Relative or Comparative perfection, when, though a thing be in itself defective, yet when it is compared with another of its own kind, it doth very much exceed or go beyond it; and that which is Absolute, which is when it is improved to its utmost capacity; & they observe that perfection is sometimes used for Sincerity, in opposition to Hypocrisy; when a man not only professeth Godliness, but is the man he pretends to be, such an one is sound or perfect, whereas the other is unsound, and so imperfect. Now all these distinctions have their foundation in the word of God: nor, without distinguishing, can we be able to reconcile those Texts which assert the present perfection of the people of God, even in this life, with those that do deny any here to be perfect; which would else be contradictions, whereas we are assured that the spirit of God doth not contradict himself in his word. Now, though it be ●●sily granted on all hands, that Christ squire's Sincerity, or an Upright Heart of ●s, yea and Integrity too, or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be expressed to all his Commands; and he will accept of such sincerity and integrity at the hands of his people in these duties which they perform in faith, seeking for their acceptance in Christ: in which respect I suppose, Evangelical Obedien●● doth mainly differ from that which is Lega● and God is pleased with it, when he rejects the other; yet, how far, absolute perfection is comprised in the precept here given by Christ, is a matter of doubt and debate among many. There are, and those not a few, who with greatest confidence do assert, that God doth not expect or require of his people, under the Gospel Covenant, that perfection in their Obedience to him, which he did under the Covenant of Works; but hath abated of the strictness of the Command; and if we do our best, there is no more required of us Which assertion, though I believe that many who use it, do mean well, and intent nothing else in it than is acknowledged by all the Orthodox; yet it is a very unsafe assertion in the letter of it; and is one foundation on which the Papists do build their Doctrines of men's merits, and works of supererogation; yea and many Protestants do also introduce that absurd and dangerous notion of making our Obedience to be of the matter of our Justification; because being upon a New Covenant account, we do fulfil the Obedience that is in it required of us, and so, by that Covenant, it bespeaks our Justification: Lose Professors also are hurt by this opinion; they think they are sincere, and because of this indulgence, are too negligent in their duty, and fail in that true Repentance, which they ought every day to be in the renewed exercises of; It may then be of present use to discuss this Case, viz.  
Quest. Whether that Personal Perfection which God requires of his people under the Covenant of Grace, be the same for kind and degree with that which was required in the Covenant of Works, or any thing short of it?  
A. For the more distinct opening and re●olving this important Case, let these things ●e observed.  
1. That the question is not concerning Uncon●erted Ones who are under the outward Dispensation of the Gospel; but those that are under Grace, ● e. those that are truly Converted to God. ●ouching the former of these, it is to be well observed, that notwithstanding the offer they ●ave made to them, and standing which they ●ave under the Covenant and Promises exhibited by the Gospel to men, in which life and Salvation is hypothetically promised unto them, and invitations are urged upon them to entertain it on the terms proposed; yet before such time as they have actually embraced the offered Grace, they are truly under the Law as a Covenant of Works: and because they are so, it demands of them personal perfection both habitual and actual, and that on pai● of death; for we are told in, Gal. 3. 10. A● many as are of the works of the Law, are und●● the Curse: for it is written, Cursed is every 〈◊〉 that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them. Hence as of old, God gave the Moral Law a new Sanction, on Mount Sinai with thunderings and lightnings, and great terrors, as we are informed, Exod. 19 & 20 So to make way fo● the veiled Gospel, which was afterwards give● to Moses, and by him to Israel, in those Ordinances, or Ceremonial Institutions which wer● delivered to him; so, under the Gospel, t● those that are partakers of the outward benefits of it, when he comes to Convert any Sinners among them to Christ, and make the● to accept of him, as a Saviour, he lays the● under the terrors of the Law Moral, by showing them what is therein required of the● and what they are to expect at the hands ● a Righteous God, if those demands be n● fully answered; and by this he convince● them of their misery, and self impotency ● deliver themselves from it, thereby making way for their harkening after, and giving the greatest welcome to a Redeemer. On this account is the Law called our Schoolmaster ●nto Christ, Gal. 3. 24. Because by it we are acquainted with our need of him, and excited to seek after him. There is then no doubt to be made, but that the same perfection is required of them, notwithstanding their being in the visible Kingdom of Christ. Whereas true Converts or such as have believed in Christ, are delivered from this Severity, i. e. they are no longer under the Law as a Covenant pronouncing of them dead men if they fail of their Obedience in the least ●unctilio: and the reason is, because they are ●rought under the Covenant of Grace, by which they are freed from the former, according to, Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have domini● over you, for ye are not under the Law, but ●nder Grace.  
2. The question is not with respect to our Justi●ation before God. The Justification of fallen ●an hath not the least regard to any personal Obedience of theirs, as having an influence Causal into it; and consequently it can ●ave no respect to any kind of perfection of ● Gospel Justification cometh altogether by ●e Imputation of the Righteousness of another ● us; viz. that of Christ, which was for that ●nd provided by God for us, and is called his Righteousness, Phil. 3 9 The Righteousness that is of God by faith; and so it is not ours Personal or Inherent, but by acceptation for us. It is cal●ed the Justification of a Sinner, or of the Ungodly, Rom. 4. 5. And therefore must needs have a respect to that Law in relation whereto the man is a Sinner; which is the Moral Law, under obligation whereto all men do stand as they derive from the first Adam to whom it was given for himself and his posterity; and hence it must have a Righteousness to answer it, every way as perfect as that Law required, which not fallen man is able in himself to pay; nor can any offer it for him, but Christ only. They wholly mistake the very nature of Gospel Justification, who allow any Righteousness short of that, to have any concernment in it; and since by the fall man is become Guilty, and so subjected to the Curse of the Law, if he had a personal Righteousness, as broad as that which the Law required of m●n in integrity, yet that would not satisfy for the removal of his Gild, without which he cannot be Justified. So that whether it be perfect or imperfect, it signifies nothing here▪  
3. Nor is the question about what Obedience of ours will find acceptance with God through Christ. It is certain▪ that no Obedience of ours will be at all accepted of us out of him; and it is also beyond doubt that the imperfection which attends the sincere Services of God's Children▪ will not procure that these Services of theirs should be rejected by him, for if so, it were impossible tha●●ny of us, in this imperfect state that abides us, should ever please God in any thing that we do, which must needs be an invincible discouragement to us in doing any duties that are required of us: but than it is through Christ that they find acceptance with him. In this respect it is that the sincerity which God● Children do express in their Obedience, is so often called perfection, in the Scriptures, (Joh is said to be a perfect man, and upright, Joh 1. 1.) by Reason that being offered to God with Christ's incense, it finds favour with him, and he smelle●h a sweet savour in it, notwithstanding that according to the Law it would have been utterly rejected, by reason of the concomitant defects▪ So that the true Believer who serves God in integrity, is not to be discouraged, because he finds his best to come so far behind of that perfection which the Law prescribes to men, but is to look to the gracious encouragement which is gi●en to them who love God in sincerity.  
4. But it is with regard to the obligation to New Obedience that lies upon Justified Believers. It presupposeth them to be in a state of Justification, and looks upon them as under the Government of Christ, and owing ● Service to him. There are indeed those who deny that any such obligation lieth upon the Children of God, and that the Law Moral no longer binds them under duty of conformity unto it, but that upon their believing in Christ, they are freed from any such engagement; this is purely Antinomian, and bespeaks all the precept given to the Children of God under the Gospel, to be wholly in vain; or only to concern such as are as yet unregenerate, for the awakening them to betake themselves to Christ, and seek an interest in him by faith, and not at all to belong to those that are already partakers in the grace of God; but why then have the Children of God that title of Obedient put upon them, and are called upon to express it by this conformity? 1 Pet. 1. 14. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts, etc. Supposing then such an Obedience as this to be our duty, which prerequires a principle to be put into us, impowring us to a compliance with it, in order to our actual performance of it, our enquiry is about the extensiveness of it, or how far it is our duty to endeavour after perfection in it? and for the clearing of this Case we may take the following Conclusions into Consideration.  
1. That the design of the New Covenant, in which the Grace of it is to appear, is to bring fallen man back to a state of blessedness. It was because mankind were become woefully miserable by the Apostasy of Adam, in which they all fell, and there was no room left for any remedy to be afforded to them by the Covenant of Works, inasmuch as the Law could no longer give life, Gal. 3. 21. And God had a pity for some of that unhappy race, & would save them, that he opened a New Covenant, in which he makes the displays of his rich Grace to them. Now, as it was the glory of his Grace that God had a regard to ultimately in this Contrivance; so the way in which he would exalt this Attribute, and make it illustrious and for ever admirable, was in their Salvation: So that the Salvation of lost Sinners is inseparably connected with, and nextly subordinated to this last end of God; because in and by it he will accomplish it. In which Salvation they are delivered from that misery under which they were fallen by reason of sin, unto all that felicity which they had so lost; hence we are told that it is by Grace that we are saved, Eph▪ 2 8. on which account it is called the Grace of God which brings Salvation, Tit. 2 11. When therefore the undone Sinner is brought to the enjoyment of perfect felicicity, then hath the Grace of God accomplished its design.  
2. That in order to the bringing about of this purpose of God, there are two things requisite to be done for the man, viz The Justification of his person, and the Sanctification of his nature. The ground of this, is because there is a double misery befallen the man by the Apostasy, viz. Gild, which hath rendered him obnoxious to the wrath of God, yea brought him under a sentence of Condemnation, binding him over to suffer the whole Curse that is contained in the threatening of Death, unto the execution whereof the Justice of God stands engaged in the Covenant of works: And Pollution, by which his nature is depraved, and fallen under the Dominion of Sin which reigns as a King in him, and so he is rendered utterly impotent to the doing of that which is good, and i● which his formal happiness did consist, and al● his powers are violently bend to that which is evil: and so long as these two abide upon him he cannot be happy, but must needs be miserable. As long as the man lies under the Curses of the Law, a Prisoner of Revenging Justice, doomed to suffer all the wrath that is contained in the threaten that are out against Sinners, in which the quintessence of al● evil is contained; and is held fettered in Cord● of Iniquity, so as that he can do nothing of that business which he was made for, but is, by the force of his carnal lusts, hurried and precipitated into repeated provocations of God, he must needs be a miserable Creature: Nor can he be recovered to a state of blessedness, but by the removal of both these evils from him; and if either of them remain upon him, he is incapable of being a blessed man in that condition. The former of these is done by Justification, and the latter by Sanctification. In the one his Condemnation is removed, his Gild is taken away, he is acquitted from the Law, and delivered from all danger of suffering the direful penalties of it; yea and is adjudged to life, to partake in the good that is laid up in the promise; in the latter his nature is restored, and renewed again, and he is rendered able to Serve God in newness of life; he who before was unprofitable, is now made profitable; and can glorify God, which was his last end. And for this reason both these benefits of the new Covenant, are so much celebrated in the Gospel: both of these are included in that reason of the Name which was put upon Christ at his birth, Matth. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his Name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And in Gods taking away all iniquity from them, Hos. 14. 2.  
3. That the end of this Sanctification, is to make him a fit subject to enjoy true blessedness. It is true, without Justification of the man's person, and in it a pardon of his Sins applied to him, he cannot be happy; for how is it possible that he should be so, as long as the wrath of God abides on him, and he is every moment liable to the fearful stroke of Divine Vengeance, which is ready to fall on him, and cut him off! Whereas if once this state of his be changed, and he is a Justified and Pardoned man, he is forthwith blessed, according to Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Yet this alone is not sufficient for his actual enjoyment of the felicity promised in the New-Covenant; for true blessedness can only consist in the closure of the faculty with its Object, and resting satisfied in it; for without satisfaction the man is not happy; and that it may thus do, it is necessary that there be a suitableness between the faculty and the object, how else should it either close with, or take real content in it? Now the blessedness which God hath laid in to entertain his people withal, is suited only to Holiness in the subject of it; so that without it, it is impossible that the man should ever participate in it, or be delighted with it, Heb. 12. 14. Without Holiness no man shall see God. So that the sinful pollution which is upon the very nature of fallen man, by reason of the sin that dwells in him, renders him, in the present condition, and so long as he abides under the prevailing efficacy of it, altogether unmeet for blessedness, yea indeed incapable of it. He cannot have Communion with God, in which his felicity must consist, for God alone is an happifying object; nor, if he could can he take any content to himself in it, because God is Holy, and such is the fellowship which he holds with the Creature, than which nothing can be more contrary to the corruption wherewith his nature is defiled. We read of A meetness for the Inheritance of the Saints, Col. 1. 12. ●hich meetness implies a suitable disposition ●●s thereto, in which it is absolutely requisite ●t there be in us such gracious qualifications ● render us conformable to the Inheritance it ●f; these we have not in us by nature, as we ●rive it from the unclean fountain from which ●● are originated, for, Who can bring a cleaning out of an unclean? It must then be done ● Sanctification, in and by which we are assimilated to our Inheritance; because hereby ●● are made holy, and so are fitted for the ●joyment of the holy place, and of all those ●ly things which are there prepared to make ● happy in it.  
4. That the man can only be truly blessed in the ●rifying of God, and enjoying of him. The ●essedness of the Reasonable Creature requires ●e concurrence of two things to make it commeat, viz. Well doing, and W●ll being: nor can ●ther of these be alone. A man is then happy ●●en he fully reacheth the end▪ that he was ●ade for; now man was made for God, not ●ly Ultimately, but Immediately too; and to ●se this end must needs be his misery. Now, God's Glory being his own last end in all his ●orks of Efficiency, hence it follows that the ●ast end o● all these works of ●his must be to ●erve to that glory, how else should he obtain ●is end by it in the event? And every one of ●is Creatures is to Serve to this end agreeably to that nature which God put into it when h● made it; in which he bestowed on it a capacity of so serving his design by it. Accordingly, man was made capable of doingly this a●ively, inasmuch as he was endowed with su● powers as enabled him to act as a cause ● counsel, and make choice of his way; an● therefore it is only by his so doing that he ca● reach the great end of his being: in his mi●sing of this he becomes Vain, for what else ● vanity, but the missing, or falling short of one end? That the man may attain this end, it ● requisite that he have a power in him to Serv● to it; and what else is that power but Holiness Created Holiness in man, is nothing else bu● that rectitude in his whole nature, and all th● powers of it, whereby he is enabled & encline● to live & be to the Glory of God in all things▪ And from the exerting of this principle d● proceed all his holy actions▪ Man in his lapse● estateis without this principle, having lost it by his unhappy fall; it must therefore be again restored to him in Sanctification, else he cannot Serve God. Now man's Well being is consequent upon the former; God only is an adequate object for him, or a sufficient portion for him, to make him blessed; he must the● enjoy him, if ever it be well with him, for i● this fruition his actual felicity must consist: for could he obtain and have the full freedom o● using all that is in heaven and earth, separate from God, he were still miserable; the Psalmist could say, Psal. 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is nothing on earth that I desire with thee: and the only way for our enjoying of God, is by glorifying in him. It is sin that hath made the woeful separation, which hath procured our infelicity, Isa. 59 2. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God. And what is sin, but a coming short of the glory of God? Rom. 3. 23. God therefore hath fully declared that he will bestow this favour upon none but those that honour him, 1 Sam. 2. 3●. Them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.  
5. That for this Active personal glorifying of God, man must have a Rule. It is not enough that he have an inward principle of Sanctification put into him, whereby he is disposed unto this Service, and empowered for the discharging of it, though without it he must needs fall short of his great end; but he must also have a directory to show him his way, in which this work is to be done. As there must be an heart in us inclining of us to Glorify God, else we cannot move one step towards it, so there must be a way according to which we are to incline ourselves hereunto. It is certain that there are those things whereby God is dishonoured in the lives of the Children of men as well as those whereby they do honour him; and how should the man be able either to avoid the one, or rightly to prosecute the other, except he have something to guide his steps, and order his Conversation by? for this therefore there must be a Rule laid before him, hence God tells them, Mic. 6 8. He hath shown thee Oh man, what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to d● justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? the promise therefore is made to such as live conformably to this Rule, Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule, peace be on them, and mercy; and it is the alone prerogative of God, not only to require Service of his Creature, which it owes to him as he is its supreme Lord and Owner, but also to prescribe to it how and wherein he will be Served by it. He who is our Lord and King, is our Law giver too,. Isa. 33. 22. And he must some way or other reveal this to them that are concerned in it, how else should they know how to order their conversation aright, so as to see his Salvation? It is by this Rule that they are to square all their actions; they must therefore look upon it, and apply it to every step▪ David saith, Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a light to my feet, and a lamp to my path; but this it cannot be except they be acquainted with it; so that they must receive it from him in order to their practising of it, 1 Thes. 4. 1. We exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ, that as ye have received of us how you ought to walk, and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.  
6. The Moral Law was at first given to man to be this Rule. As there is a Common Government which God exerciseth over the Creation, so there is a Special Government by which he leads Intelligent & Rational Agents to the end they are appointed to: Now this Law was the Rule of God's special Government with respect to mankind. This Law is by some made the same with, and by others divers from the law of nature; but if we reckon the law of nature, to be that which was engraven on the heart of man at the first, it may be well reckoned for the same. This was every way suited to the nature of man; it was fitted for the guiding of such a creature to its last end, in all the things in which he was concerned: The sanctified understanding in man, during his state of integrity, not only could read the inscriptions of it on his heart, but saw and approved the reasonableness and equity of it; yea, the convictions of a natural Conscience in fallen man, do prove that he cannot withstand the righteousness of it, Rom. 2. 14, 15. Man was to obey this Law in all things, and to be happy in that Obedience, Rom. 10. 5. The man that doth these things shall live by thèm; & see, Jam. 1. 25. The threatening indeed was annexed to the Sacrament of that Covenant, Gen. 2 17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die; but every Article in it, or precept of it being ratified by that Seal, it so sealed up and confirmed the whole of it unto man, and had a reference to every duty that was contained therein. This was the same Law which had a new edition of it at Mount Sinai, where God published it, and registered it on Tables of Stone, & summed it up in ten Precepts, which comprised in them the sum and substance of man's duty, and wherein he was bound to Serve and Glorify God in his whole course, reaching both his heart and his life, the matter, manner & end of all he did.  
7. Though the Sanctions of that Law as a Covenant be removed, in respect to believers; yet as a Rule, it abides for ever. Under the Covenant of Grace, neither is the promise of bestowing a reward of life upon men's performing of perfect personal Obedience, nor the threatening of punishing the least defect in that Obedience with death, any longer of force in regard of the Children of God: and the reason is, because the Law of Works hath ceased to be a Covenant to them, upon their accepting the terms of, and being admitted into the Covenant of Grace. We do now stand upon other terms with God, through Christ in the New Covenant, whereof we are partakers by faith in him. But still the Precepts of the Moral Law abide on us as our Duty, there never was any repeal of the Command; nor indeed can they ever cease to be a Rule to man, for the guiding of him in the right ordering of his Conversation, inasmuch as they are every way suited to the nature of man, considered as being made on purpose for the actual glorifying of God; so that if we would actually glorify him as men, we must do it in compliance with these precepts. All that is contained in this rule is reduced to those two heads, Mat. 22. 37, 39 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. And this can never cease to be our duty, so long as we are men; nothing can discharge us from the obligation of loving God and our neighbour, inasmuch as the Relation we bear to both cannot cease, and the duty is inseparable from such a Relation. It is also certain that all of these Duties are reinforced in the Gospel; or under the dispensation of the Kingdom of Grace; and may be all of them found on record in the preceptive part of the New-Testament, required of Christians, as they would walk worthy of the vocation with which they are called; and are therefore called New Commands, because they are there reinforced with arguments fetched from the consideration of the Grace of God appearing to us; we have this summarily commended to us in, Tit. 2. 11, 12. The Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. Under which three heads, are comprised all those duties which are required in and by the Moral Law.  
8. That all the Commands of the New-Covenant, which are purely Evangelical, are inclusively Comprehended in this Rule. It is to be observed, that there are some Duties introduced by the New Covenant, and are enjoined on all such unto whom it is promulgated, which were not Duties incumbent on man whiles he continued in a state of Integrity, such as Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance unto life, and the several things that are contained in these, as they point to us the way for fallen man to recover God's favour, and obtain eternal Salvation; and indeed these Duties were inconsistent with that state. Man had not forfeited himself to the Law, and so needed not a Redeemer; he stood in his uprightness, and was defiled with no sin, and had no occasion for Repentance▪ These Duties therefore were not immediately comprised in the law of nature, nor was man in Innocency able by the improvement of his reason, to gather that there were any such Duties hypothetically belonging to his Rule. Nor is it to be supposed, that when God at first indented with man in the Covenant of Works, and warned him against disobedience, by showing him the threatening; that he made any discovery to him of an hope that in case of his miscarriage he might be saved, or that he foretold a way of his recovery, in case he ruined himself by trespassing against the command, and bringing of himself under the threatening: doubtless he reserved this for the Opening of the Covenant of Grace: and till he so made it known, man could not possibly so much as guests at such a thing. However, there is thus much contained in the Moral Law, and the light of nature clearly discovered to man at first, viz. that the rightful authority and supremacy that God hath over all men, claims a liberty for him at any time to enjoin man in any thing, and make it his duty by virtue of his command to do it, if it be within the power which he at first endowed him withal; and consequently that he owes Obedience to God in whatsoever he shall at any time declare to be his will; hereupon Positive Commands oblige men by the light of nature, as well as Natural duties, supposing there be a Revelation of them made to them. We find therefore that God at first exerted this authority over our first Parents, when he put them into the Garden, by an arbitrary exempting the Tree of Knowledge from their eating of it, under pain of death; nor did they dispute, but acknowledge his Sovereignty over them in that regard, though afterwards the adversary used it as a snare to draw them into Sin. And how many such positive Precepts did God give to Israel of which he renders 〈◊〉 other reason but this, I am the Lord? Hence there fore, when God once reveals to fallen men that it is his will that they should repent and believe, in order to their being made partakers in Pardon and Salvation, it becomes their bounden duty, by virtue of that Command, that they so do; and not only will they miss of Salvation if they neglect to comply with these terms on which it is offered; but they will thereby Sin against God, and so aggravate their Gild; and in this respect the Gospel may well be called the Law of Christ. Hence we are told, Acts 17. 30. Now God commandeth all men every where to repent. i e. Now when the Gospel is promulgated; and 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.  
9 This being a perfect Rule, requires every sort of personal perfection in us. Our perfection must needs consist in our conformity to the Rule of it, and if so, we cannot be entirely perfect, unless our conformity be as large as the duties which are required by it: and that not only in all the parts of it, by answering to every precept in it, and having a respect to all the Commandments of God; but also in the degrees of our compliance with it, which must consist in such an Holiness, as hath not the least mixture of the contrary in it; that doth not only do the thing, but doth it with that accuracy that there be nothing wanting in the matter of it, with that diligence that we never fail either in omission or commission, with that intenseness of love, that hath no mixture of reluctancy, or backwardness, with that singleness of heart that hath no allay or mixture of any sinister aims or ends; and with that constancy that we hold on without wavering to the end; which though none of the Children of God ever did or shall, in this life attain unto, yet it is the perfection which we are called to aspire after, and not to rest in any thing short of it, but to be in an earnest pursuit of it, as long as we abide here, and till we reach it in the Kingdom of Glory. And that this is required of us will appear, if we consider;  
1. That every thing short of this Perfection is moral impurity. The Command is the Rule of our Holiness; and if so, than the perfection of our Holiness must consist in our being commensurate to that Rule: and whatsoever is contraty to Holiness is impurity; and consequently in what degree soever we come short of this measure, it is by reason of a moral deficiency in us with respect to this Rule; and that can proceed from nothing but sinful imperfection, which must needs render us so far impure. Now the Holy God who loves Holiness, cannot be well pleased with any thing that he seethe in us, that is of another tincture. He may and doth love our persons in Christ, which love of his is unchangeable, and nothing in us shall ever be able to separate us from it. He also loveth his Graces which are in us, they being the fruits of his own Holy Spirit; and so far as they are exercised by us, so far he smells a sweet savour in the Services that we do. But for all this, so far as we come short by reason of sin in us, and the mixture of it with any thing that we engage in, so far is there something in us which is not grateful to him, according to, Heb. 1. 13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. Which must needs intent a look of approbation, for his Infinite Omniscience cannot but behold it so as to know it. And certainly it concerns us not to rest or be satisfied so long as there remains any thing in us which is ingrateful to this Holy God, which there will be so long as we abide short of sinless perfection.  
2. That sincere Christians are commanded to grow in Grace. This is a Gospel precept enjoined us by the Spirit of God, 2 Pet. 3. ●8. But grow in Grace. Now this command presumes that there is truth and uprightness in us; that there is a new principle of Holiness infused into us; for we must have Grace in us, before we can grow in it. Where there is not life, there cannot be growth: there must be a beginning in order to a progress; and as this is a duty of all new Converts, in whom the Seeds of all the Graces of the Spirit are sown, as, 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. It is no less expected of all God's people in this life, to whatsoever degree they have already attained; and the reason is, because they are not yet arrived at perfection, so the Apostle argueth, Phil. 3. 12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. So that though sincerity be accepted in Christ, yet we are not to rest in it, but to labour after more strength, more victory over corruption, more holiness; and when we have reached to any further degree in this than we had before, we are not now to sit still, but to aspire after more and more, and not to cease till it comes to be perfect. This use we are directed to make of the promises, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. And if it be enquired how long we are to pursue this business, we are told, Eph. 4. 13. Till we all come un●o a perfect man, unto the measure of the Stature of the fullness of Christ. Now the reason of the imperfection of Grace is the remains of sin in us, and it is by the decrease of that in us, that our Grace grows.  
3. That all the short come in regard of his people, are displeasing to God. True, they do not shut them out of his favour; for, as he hath accepted them in Christ as to their persons, so he hath cast the robe of his Righteousness over them, under which he hath covered all their obliquities, and therefore, as a Judge, he sees no iniquity in them, Numb. 23. 21. He hath seen no iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel. But yet, as they have their failings, by reason of that sin which remaineth in them, so by these follies of theirs, they do sometimes stir up his anger as he is their father, and he discovers it in some awful effects of it; we read 2 Sam. 11. ult. The thing which David did displeased the Lord, and we see how severely he treated him, Chap. 12. For these follies of theirs it is that they are so often corrected, and that sometimes with severity: for these it is that so many afflictions are brought upon them in the course of God's Providence, who hath assured us, that he doth not afflict willingly, Lam. 3. 33. And on this account holy men have so often complained of the bitter sense they have had of his anger, Psal. 28. 3, 4. There is no soundess in my flesh because of thine anger: neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin: For mine iniquities are gone over mine head, as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me: And see, Psal. 32. 3, 4. 88 7. etc. And though God doth not always chide for every defect that he discovers in his Children, for then their Spirit would fail; since there is nothing they do which hath not this short coming in it; whereas, he knows our frame, and remembers we are but dust, Psal. 103. 14. Yet even these unavoidable infirmities, which attend upon the best duties that ever we do, are things which he takes no pleasure in: and that he animadverts not upon them, is because of his pity. Psal. 103. 13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.  
4. There is a Sacrifice of Atonement appointed even for these defects. The Sacrifices of old were Typical, and had a spiritual aim which was to be apprehended in them: and it is certain, that where there was required by the Ceremonial Law a Sacrifice of Expiation, it signified that there had been something which was offensive to God, for which there must be a satisfaction made to him, there must be something to reconcile him, if ever the person hoped to have him Atoned to him, but for which there had been no need of such a Sacrifice. Whatsoever therefore required such a Sacrifice to be offered up for it, must needs intimate that it had some ill thing adhering to it, that was offensive to God, and must be removed: Now the very duties that God's people do, wherein they do sincerely serve him, and express the greatest endeavour after holiness in them, must have the virtue of Christ's oblation applied to them, for the expiation of the defects that accompany them; this was aimed at in that Levitical Law; Levit. 16. 33. He shall make an Atonement for the holy Sanctuary, and he shall make an Atonement for the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and for the Altar; and he shall make an Atonement for the Priests, and for all the People of the Congregation. Intimating that all had defilement cleaving to them, by reason of imperfections in those who were concerned in them. And for this reason we are to seek acceptance through Christ for our best duties; and the very prayers of the Saints, must come through his hands, and be offered with his incense, Rev. 8. 3. There was given him much incense, that he should offer it with Prayers of all Saints, etc. And why so, but to perfume them, and take away the unsavouriness that cleaves to them! which would not be needed, if there were no sin adhering to them.  
5. The best of God's People do profess themselves to be short of perfection, and engaged in the pursuit of farther degrees of Holiness. If a man hath reached so far as is expected of him by the tenor of the Covenant of Grace, under which God hath taken him, there is no need or occasion for him to aspire after any more, inasmuch as that is the Covenant which he is to stand to, and by the terms whereof he is to judge of his duty: Certainly the holy men of old knew what they did, when they professed their own great defects, & bewailed them: It was the same Covenant that Old-Testament Saints were under, and yet we find them acknowledging sinful defects in the best, Prov. 20. 9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? And Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth, that doth good and sinneth not. Nor have believers in Christ in Gospel days been otherwise persuaded, or thought that their New-Covenant state took from their imperfect actions the nature and denomination of sinful; 1 Joh. 1. 8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; and this apprehension hath put them upon it, earnestly to prosecute more perfection, not being content with the degrees obtained; of this we have a full instance in Paul, Phil. 3. 13, 14. I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things than are behind, and reaching forth unto those things that are before, I press toward the mark. Paul when he wrote this Epistle was a Prisoner a● Rome, and so it was not long before his death he was not only a sincere Christian, but one that had made a very great progress in Godliness, and arrived to an high pitch in Grace; and yet he assures us that he was a great way short of that perfection, which he was in pursuit of, and counted it his duty to use utmost endeavours after the obtaining it; and it was not a Legal perfection which he sought, for that he utterly disclaims, but it was Evangelical, or that which, according to the Rule of the Gospel he was to pursue.  
6. The Children of God, when they do their best, do still bitterly bewail themselves that they can do no better. It must needs be granted that such imperfection in us, as is a just ground for the sorrow and mourning of the people of God, and which they do and aught to cry out of as their burden and bitterness, is a short coming in them which ought not to be, else all those complaints, and self judge about it, must needs be superfluous and unreasonable: Not that the sense of this should drive them to despair of God's gracious acceptance of them, sin●● he hath provided for that in Christ, notwithstanding all this: but yet it excite● Godly Sorrow in them, and helps to keep them humble and mournful all their days and directs them where to fix their hope viz. upon God's free mercy in and through Christ. We find therefore how Paul amplifieth in his bemoaning of himself on this account in, Rom. 7. And though it hinders not, but helps his thanksgiving, verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yet ●he complains of it as a thing that was grievous to him, verse 15. That which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that do I not, but what I hate that do I. And verse 23. I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. And upon the review of all this he cries out as one that was in very sore distress, verse 24. Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And this was not a representation of his natural state, when under the legal convictions of sin, and remorses of Conscience by reason of it; but under the conflict between. Grace and Corruption in him, as the whole tenor of his expressions doth evince. Nor was it on the account of bold Transgressions, and more enormous and scandalous preva●ications; ●or he could make that challenge, 1 Thes 2. 10. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly and unblamably we behaved ourselves among you, that believe. But it was the mixture which he experienced of sinful corruption with his grace which discovered him not as yet arrived at full perfection.  
7. The best of men do deprecate the rigour of God in his animadverting upon them; which they would have no occasion to do, if they did not know themselves to be short of that perfection which they ought to seek after, and that the want of it belongs to the remaining sin in them. They do indeed hope in his Grace, and accordingly look to receive free Salvation from it; and they believe that this failing of theirs shall not hinder their partaking in it, because God hath laid in for their pardon and acceptance in another: but there is a way in which they come to have a title to this Salvation, and on account whereof they may claim it, according to, or consistent with the Justice of the first Covenant, under which they once were: and they dare not to put themselves on the trial of their own holiness for this, and the reason is, because they know it to be so short and defective, that if God should take advantage from what his holy eye sees to be wanting therein, he would have occasion and provocation offered him, to make severe animadversions upon them; on this account David so pleads, Psal. 130. 3, 4. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities; O Lord, who should stand? but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared. And makes that deprecation in, Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into Judgement with thy Servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be Justified. And though they can plead their interest in his favour, from the evidence of their integrity, and comfort themselves in it; it being an effect of his distinguishing Grace in them, and having the promise secured to it; yet they dare not plead any personal Righteousness of their own, for the procuring of any favour for them, but renounce it, Dan. 9 18. We do not present our Supplications before thee for our Righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. And for this reason the sense of these defects attending them, makes them oftentimes to tremble at the thoughts of God's displeasure, Psal. 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy Judgements.  
8. It is their duty daily to Pray for Forgiveness. Prayer is One part of Natural Worship, and it is not appointed for a Compliment, but as a necessary duty for the upholding of Communion between God and men; it being the way in which we are to seek and obtain the good we need, and give him the due acknowledgements of it. In the petitionary part of it then, we are to ask him only for such things as we want: And the apprehension of our want, and his ability to succcour us, is the motive of our so seeking to him. Now there is such a Petition which Christ hath directed his Disciples, and such as can call God their Father, to present daily to him, Math. 6. 12. Forgive us our debts. i e. Our Sins. And there is ever implied in such a petition, a confession of our debts, else we cannot in earnest ask the forgiveness of them. We then daily want forgiveness; not only a further confirmation of the pardon we received in our Justification, but new forgiveness; and there is none so holy in this life, as to be discharged from the obligation of making this petition in prayer: And yet there are many of God's Children that are kept from precipitating themselves into atrocious sins; nor do any truly gracious ones make a daily trade of it. This therefore plainly intimates, that the very remaining imperfection, which makes them in their whole lives to fall behind in regard of that absolute perfection which consists in a complete conformity to the Rule, hath that in it which needs forgiveness to be applied to it by the free Grace of God. It therefore hath sinfulness in it, otherwise it could no● stand in need of a pardon: and whatsomever in us stands in need of that, tells ●● that we ought to labour indefatigably t● get it taken away as a thing which is evil and bitter.  
9 One great design that God aims at, in his Ordinances and Providences which he dispenseth to his people, is to purge away these imperfections, & to lead them on towards Perfection. The Gospel Ordinances, which Christ hath appointed to be dispensed to his people, were not only designed for the bringing about the Conversion of Sinners, though that also is purposed in them, we are therefore said to be begotten by the word of truth, Jam. 1. 18. And Paul was sent to open men's eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, Acts 26. 18. But God also aimed at the Edification of Saints by them. They are therefore Christ's Ascension Gifts which he hath bestowed on his Church, to help them forward to a sinless perfection, till when they are not to cease, Eph. 4. 10, etc. There are also the many Afflictive Providences, which God seethe meet to exercise his own Children withal in this world, and among other purposes which he intends to bring about hereby, we are told that this is one great thing that he aims at by them, Isa. 27. 9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his sin. On this account, the afflictions that the Children of God are visited withal, are compared to a farnace, and to a re●iners fire, in which, remaining dross is separated from the good metal, to make it yet more pure. This good effect Job encouraged himself that he should obtain by his afflictions, Job 23 10. When he hath tried me, I shall com● forth as gold And surely, that which God useth such courses with us, to take away from us, must needs be a thing, that we should endeavour the removal of: Job was a perfect man as to integrity, Chap. 1. 1. And yet he needed this trial.  
10▪ They must be fully perfected in order to their perfect Glorification. Though the body of death attends them through the present life, and giveth them no little molestation in it, yet it shall be wholly put off with it, and they shall no more be pestered with it for ever: There shall be perfection of holiness enjoyed by us▪ when we come to perfect glory; nor indeed can our glory be perfect without it: we are told how Christ will present his Church to himself at last, Eph. 5. 27. A glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. None are admitted into the assembly above, but Just men made perfect, Heb. 12. 22▪ When we come there we shall sin no more, nor have any dregs of pollution abiding in us, but be entirely conformed to the Image of God; now that which is the perfection which God will bring us to at last, is that which we all ought to be aspiring after, and restless in pursuit of, till we come to obtain it. And truly, Inchoate Holiness make● us capable only of partaking in Inchoate Blessedness; our vessels are not prepared to be filled with glory, nor can we have that near Communion with God in Christ, which is requisite to give us complete and unintermixed satisfaction, till we are completely holy in the highest degree which our natures are able to receive; If then God hath appointed us to Salvation, and there can be none without this, it must needs be our duty not to take up with any thing short of this: and consequently it must be that which is promised to us in the Covenant of Grace, and we ought to pursue it, and endeavour to go from strength to strength in it, till we arrive at the fullness of it, which is not to be expected till we get to the Eternal Kingdom.  

USE.  
Be we then Exhorted not to place our hope in God, for the sake of any Righteousness of our own, when we must confess our best so short of what it ought to be, which needs a pardon, and therefore cannot command his favour; but let the sense of our duty, and our defect p●t us upon relying on Christ alone, and his Righteousness as the m●ritorious and material cause of our acquittance from the condemnation of the Law, and being made the Owners of a title to eterne life. Let us look hither for a sure foundation to build our hope upon, to receive the reward of Eternal Glory; and not to any thing of our own. Let our dependence be here for the acceptance of our poor imperfect duties, acknowledging that but for this they could not but be rejected. Let us in sense of our own imperfection, be ever bewailing of it, and go to Christ to have it sprinkled with his blood. Let us press hard all our lives after more Holiness, prosecuting it with utmost reachings; and let every new acquest by Divine help, make us the more earnest after further degrees of it, and more vigorous in the use of all means to reach them: Nor let us tyre and give in, so long as we are any whit behind those who are now totally freed from sin, and in whom Grace is arrived at its full stature in Glory.   
THE END.   

A Brief Account of principal matters contained in the foregoing Treatise.  

DOCTRINE I.  
THat Jesus Christ is a Fountain of Saving Good. page 7.  
How he came to be such a Fountain? p. 13.   

DOCTRINE II.  
Jesus Christ is an Opened Fountain in the days of the Gospel. p. 22.  
How this fountain comes to be Opened? p. 28.  
In what peculiar respect it is said to be Opened in the days of the Gospel. p. 32.   

DOCTRINE III.  
They are the Seed of Christ, and the Church of God for whose sake this fountain is Opened. p. 44  
How the Opening of this Fountain had a peculiar respect to these? p. 46.   

DOCTRINE IU.  
The great design of Opening this Fountain to God's people, is for sin and uncleanness. p. 64.  
How man's sin and uncleanness gave occasion for this. p. 65  
Of what use this fowtain is for the taking it away? p. 77  
Trials of our interest in this fountain. p. 95   

DOCTRINE V  
There will be a more peculiar Opening of Christ as a Fountain of life when the Jews are called. p. 106  
That there is such a Calling of the Jews yet to come. ibid.  
The glorious state of those times. p. 114   

DOCTRINE VI  
When God hath brought his Chosen to bewail their sins, especially the affronts which they have offered to Christ, and to pray for his mercy, he will then make a gracious discovery of this Fountain to them. p. 127  
How God produceth a Spirit of mourning and supplication in men, in order to his Opening of this Fountain to them? p. 130  
How to judge of the efficacy of the Gospel. p. 140  
Rules of Trial, to know whether this Fountain hath been savingly Opened to us. p. 146  
In the Sermon annexed to the former Treatise: This great question is discussed, viz.  
Whether that personal perfection which God requires of his people under the Covenant of Grace, be the same for kind and degree with that which was required in the Covenant of Works, or any thing short of it?    

ERRATA.  
PAge 82. line 17. for parties, r. parts. p. 137. l. 25. deal, and. p. 150. l 24. f. God by, r. Godly. p. 198. l. 17▪ add, for.