THE GOSPEL New-creature; WHEREIN The Work of the Spirit is opened, in awakening the Soul; to the getting pardon of Sin, and an interest in JESUS CHRIST; Without which, it is undone to all Eternity.  
DISCOVERING The false refuges, and vain hopes for Heaven, of ignorant and formal Professors in this Nation, tending to rouse them out of their carnal Security, before it be too late.  
Whereunto is added, (By way of Comfort, to all Dejected Souls) The Tempestuous Soul calmed by JESUS CHRIST.  
By A. PALMER, Preacher of the Gospel at Bourton on the Water in Gloucester-shire.  
LONDON: Printed for Edward Brewster, at the Crane in Paul's Church yard, 1658.   

THE GOSPEL New-creature; WHEREIN The Work of the Spirit is opened in the Soul's (saving) awakening to the getting pardon of sin, Conviction of sin, Self-emptying, Gospel Justification, and creating into JESUS CHRIST.  
Discovering The false refuges and hopes for Heaven, of ignorant, carnal, formal professors in this Nation; and the counterfeit Legal New-Creature so called.  
Preached, more at large, in Public, from several Scriptures, and now published for the good of others; In much plainness to the capacity of the Country People.  
By A. Palmer, Preacher of the Gospel at Bourton on the water in Gloucestershire.  Gal. 6.4. 
Let every man prove his own work, etc.  
London, Printed for Edward Brewster at the Crane in Paul's Church yard, 1658.   

To the Reader.  
THat which drew these Papers from me, will be Argument enough for me, against the censure of what weaknesses are mixed in this Poor piece. Which I must needs so call as it comes from myself, but dare not undervalue, what of the least of the Spirit of God appears in it; every drop and taste of which, is of an infinite price, where ever it appear. Some years since, the Lord (for so, through grace, I find the issue) put upon my heart to send forth a little token of soul-experience to my friends, styled, The tempestuous Soul calmed, etc. Which I found, God made a blessing to some poor souls, (so can the Lord make use of weak things); and I have been called upon, and sent to, by strangers for Books, but had none of them: The Stationer also sending me word, that he desired to reprint it, and that I would make some addition to it, if I thought meet. These importunities were as the voice of the Lord to me, and being then preaching upon the subjects I have here added, (which were but as an enlargement to the other in the former part, but carried further in the opening the New-Creature) It came upon my heart, that I could not give out (as I humbly apprehended) what might be more generally useful in these days, for the Countrypeople, among whom chief my poor labours are laid out; wherein they may, as in a glass, particularly and plainly see, if God open their eyes, the woeful mistakes and heart-delusions, in the great business of Heaven, the most, it may well be feared, lie under; fit to be mourned over, with tears of blood, had we Preachers hearts to do it.  
2. Add to this, the infinite obligation that lies upon me, (I must say, above any soul upon the face of the earth) from my dear Lord Jesus, to do for him with all my might, to leave no way unattempted, wherein I might witness to his blessed Name, and the ways of his Grace, and helpon poor sinners to him; who have had my hands so deep in the blood of my Lord, (over whom I would mourn) and in the blood of the souls of sinners, when I helped on (to my everlasting abasement be it spoken, and the magnifying of grace) their hardening in sin and condemnation, in the days of my high rebellion against the long-suffering of my God.  
3. I have many dear Relations and Kindred, with others to whom I am known, specially in this County of Gloucester, (where I have found mercy in my labours, and an effectual door opened with other my Fellow-labourers in Christ) in whose hearts I have room (which I would wonder at) and something this way from myself would be acceptable, happily rather then that which is more worthy, from a stranger; which considerations, do much secure me against censure. Upon which account, I give it up to the Lord, in the simplicity of my soul, and beg a gracious blessing upon it, to every soul into whose hands it may come.  
Specially, My friends after the flesh, to whom I have not frequent opportunity to speak otherwise, whose souls are upon my heart to mourn for; I beseech you, and charge you in the bowels of Christ Jesus, that you will never rest in your spirits till, through infinite mercy and blessing upon your diligence, you shall find what is here written to be your own gracious experience upon your souls; Oh! do not dare to rest in a general notion of mercy, in a blind hope-well, a sober and righteous (through reform) conversation, or in a mere taking up to a better obedience; no, nor in mere notions of freegrace, and of Jesus Christ; but get (as convinced of sin so) emptied of yourselves, and all your own righteousness, to come as nothing else but sinners, to Jesus Christ for all, to be justified in his righteousness, and rooted into him, and so become New Creatures in him, and in him have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life; Which things are the main scope of this Piece directed chief to you.  
The same things I would say to you, who were the hearers of these discourses as preached unto you. Such of you who yet stand off from the fellowship of the Gospel, Oh! may this word take you in a serious reading, whom it hath not in the preaching of it; Baffle not, (Oh do not) with your own Convictions & Consciences any longer; Oh! may you yet break off from your snares, lying-hopes, offences, self-righteousnesses, heartless formalities, and wait for the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, in the ministration of the Gospel; yet the hand of the Lord is stretched forth unto you. Oh! be not any longer a disobedient and a gainsaying people: God and Angels, and your own Consciences will witness, how oft the Lord Jesus Christ hath called by me, and you have not answered.  
To you, who have before the Lord and one another, professed obedience to the call of Christ, and subjection to his Gospel, I will say no more but this; that I hope you never expect to look the Lord Jesus, in the face at the day of his appearing, but as you are justified only in his righteousness, rooted in him, and are new Creatures in him. That I may be your rejoicing, and you mine in that day; Study exactly the evidences of the New-Creature, and through grace, walk after them; which I would also press upon such of the Professors of godliness, who may peruse this plain Piece; specially the Churches of Christ I have special Communion with, in these parts; Let not young Converts rest only in having lively affections, but get distinctly bottomed upon the saving mystery of the Gospel through Jesus Christ, grounded, rooted, established upon, and in a Scripture-Christ, as the truth is in jesus; and abandon any other spirit but a Scripture-Spirit; which (blessed be rich grace) hath hitherto kept you, and led you in the way of life and peace; Now the Lord of Peace himself, give you peace always, by all means; The Lord be with you all, 1 Thes. 5.16.  
Reader, who ever thou art, if thou art, by grace, helpt-on to Jesus Christ, by what is here presented to thee; or in the walk of the New Creature in Christ; Give the Lord the glory, and pray that he may do so also, even in every thing, who would gladly approve himself,  
The servant of Christ and of all his, A. P. Bourton on the Water 23 of the first Month, 1657.   

THE GOSPEL New-Creature. THE FIRST TREATISE, Discovering The weight of the Pardon of Sin, the Spirits Conviction of Sin, and the Souls emptying and reducing into nothing in its self.  PSAL. 25.11. 
For thy Names sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.  
IN this Psalm, you have David's sins laid-in with weight upon his Conscience, and in the deep sense of their guilt, pleading with God about mercy and pardon; The sense of that one great sin, in the matter of Uriah, (meant specially in the Text) brought-in the sense of other sins of his youth upon him, as is usually God's way in humbling a sinner: and at ver. 7. you have him at the feet of God, begging as for his life, as to the remission of them all; Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to thy mercy, remember thou me, for thy goodness O Lord; And here at the Text, for thy Names sake O Lord, etc. That which I design to lay before you from the words, is to open to you, and press upon you, the weight, and blessedness of a pardoned condition, that you may be awakened to it, while the day of mercy lasts, and may indeed be in very good earnest about it, till, through infinite grace, you may obtain it, and live and die in the sweet and blessed peace & comfort of it, through our Lord Jesus Christ.  
That which I intent to give out from hence (through the Spirit of grace assisting) is but as praevious and preparatory to the opening of a justified estate, and the New Creature in Christ; That (if God will) your consciences may be brought to a thorough awakening, a spiritual sight and conviction of sin, and a self-emptyness, which is the good and safe way of a Soul to Jesus Christ; which from this Scripture take, in these plain Observations.  
Obs. 1. That great and weighty concernment that should most of all take up the thoughts of the hearts of poor sinners, is that their sins may be pardoned.  
2. Such who come to God by Jesus Christ, to have their sins pardoned, they look upon them as great sins.— for it is Great.  
3. The great reason of Gods pardoning a sinner, and the Plea that a poor sinner hath with God, is, that God will pardon for his own Names sake.  
1. To begin with the first proposition, viz.  
That great and weighty thing that should most of all take up the thoughts of the hearts of all the Children of men, is, that their sins may be pardoned.  
This may be evinced from the frame of blessed David's spirit, and other the pardoned one's of the Lord up and down the holy Scriptures, exercised with such a violence and importunity with the Lord, in this matter of the Pardon of their sins, as if they had no other thing, besides what conduced thereunto, to beg of God in the world, and all that God gave them in the world, (as indeed it is not) were nothing without it, therefore you have them thus wrestling with God about it. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, Psal. 51.1. If there be any mercy in heaven, let a poor guilty soul have a drop of it; yea David layeth a kind of violence upon God, Psal. 65.2.— As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away, thou shalt do it, I cannot, must not, will not be denied this, thou shalt do it for me. So Moses interceding for the people, Exod. 39.9. If I have found grace in thy sight, Oh Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go amongst us, (for it is a stiffnecked people) and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance; with what vehemency of heart doth Moses cry, if I have any favour with thee, let it be laid out this way, Oh Lord, let my Lord, etc. Otherwhiles, when the blessed sense of a pardoned condition is upon their hearts; Blessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven: Blessed man, or woman, as ever he was born! Blessed He, and only blessed, and fully blessed, and for ever Blessed, whose sins are pardoned! And then admiring the blessed God in such riches of grace, as to pardon sinners; Who is like to thee a God pardoning iniquity? Micah. 7.18. Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, etc. Neh. 9.17. Psal. 103.1.2, 3, 10. Bless the Lord oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! why? what had the Lord done? see verse 3. Oh, who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who forgiveth, and forgiveth All great sins as well as less; sins of nature as well as life; sins before conversion, and sins since conversion; sins of knowledge, as well as of ignorance; for David was under all these, yet All, All, All, forgiven; and that freely too, only because the Lord is gracious, verse 8. and so forgiven them, as never to come before him any more. As far as the East is from the West; so far hath he removed our transgressions from us, verse 12.  
I shall hint some Reasons of the Truth, why it is, that the pardon of sins doth, or should, so greatly take up the hearts of sinful creatures.  
Reasons 1. The pardon of sin should thus greatly take up the hearts of all that indeed expect pardon, because 'twas the greatest thing (if I may so speak) that ever took up God's heart, how a sinner might be pardoned. He laid forth more of his wisdom and goodness about it, then in the making of the Heavens and the Earth; The framing of the New Covenant, the giving out of his eternal Son Jesus Christ, God manifested in his flesh, such a glorious way of reconciling justice and mercy through the death of Christ, (the choicest piece of divine wisdom that ever was brought forth) they were all conversant about, and their proper tendency was about this great and weighty concernment, how, and that a sinner might be pardoned; when Moses had that blessed interview and parley with the Lord, Exod. 33. & 34. and Moses getting nearer and nearer to God, who was glimpsing out a ray of glory upon him, breaks out, Show me thy glory. I will, saith God, I will show thee what way of glory I most design to myself among the Sons of men,— I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. And as if this had not been enough (the heart of the blessed God was so infinitely taken with it) Chap. 34, 5, 6. The Lord comes nearer to him, descended in a Cloud, and stood with him there; and, as if merely to have spoken what he had before said to Moses namely, That he should have mercy, had not been enough, at verse 6, He proclaims it, and makes it as his proper Name, and most glorious Title, The Lord, The Lord God, Merciful and Gracious, etc. verse 7. forgiving iniquity, etc. As if forgiving iniquity were the great design of glory he had upon the world; his heart most affected and taken up with it; This is the first reason; poor sinners should have their hearts most taken up about the pardon of sins, because the heart of the infinite wise and blessed God is most taken up about it.  
2. The pardon of sin should so greatly take up the heart of a poor guilty sinner, because, Nothing, is a a Blessing to a man till his sins are pardoned, but All a curse. The Scripture is well known that proves it, among many, Deut. 28.15, 16. If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his Commandments, and his Statutes which I command thee this day that all those curses shall come upon thee & overtake thee; Cursed shall thou be in the City, & cursed shalt thou be in the field, Cursed shall be thy basket & thy Store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, & the fruit of thy Land, the increase of thy kin, & the flocks of thy sheep, Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, &. cursed shall thou be when thou goest out, the Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, etc. Now that soul that doth not hearken to the voice of God, according to the tenor of the New-Covenant, to come unto Jesus Christ, to have his sins pardoned, to have the spirit given him to walk before God in all his ways, is in an unpardoned condition, and so liable to all these curses; now, under the old Testament God did more usually come forth in visible strokes of punishment upon outward mercies: but under the New Testament, his judgements (specially upon such as are under the Gospel) are more spiritual, (as blessings to his people run in a more spiritual way) as in cursing them with hardness and blindness of heart, having resisted the truth, but yet though such outward curses are not so visibly and frequently executed, (though sometime they are) yet unpardoned, unconverted sinners enjoy not their outward good things as a blessing, but they serve but to further their damnation, if their hearts are not (through infinite grace) made soft, and turn unto the Lord that they may be pardoned. Now, to have outward mercies, and be hardened in an impenitent estate under them, is a far greater curse, then to have them smitten or embittered from the Lord, though with the heaviest hand. This is the 2d. Reason of the point: Every thing is a curse, (while such) to an unpardoned sinner; therefore 'tis of the greatest weight to have his heart taken up about it.  
3. The person of an unpardoned sinner is hated of the Lord, therefore the weight of it is very great; Psal. 5.5. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. All, be they what they will, high or low, rich or poor, God hates them; and while they are workers of iniquity, they are certainly unpardoned; what they may be in the decree of God, is nothing to that sinner in this condition: while he is a worker of iniquity, he hath no ground for any other apprehension of God, unless he turn in unto him; Now, what a dreadful thing is it, to be hated of that great and righteous God, a drop of whose wrath is able to scorch the soul with unspeakable torment; yet such is the condition of a wretched unpardoned sinner: therefore 'tis his great concernment to look to it, etc.  
4. While a sinner is unpardoned he is under the law. What that is, I shall, if God will, further discover; He stands bound over to the most exact fullfilling of it, under the penalty of Hell, bound to make God satisfaction to the utmost, upon the least breach; and being under transgression of it, is under wrath and condemnation, if he abide so, without remedy. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, but All condemnation to those that are out of Christ Jesus, as all unpardoned sinners are; therefore 'tis a condition above all others to be weighed and considered, and not to be rested in, one moment.  
5. Neither the Prayers, nor Alms, nor any other duty of an unpardoned sinner are; at all, accepted with the Lord. This, wretched sinners will not admit of, but think if they perform any duty to God, he accepts of it, and that indeed it makes an atonement for their sins; Take that one eminent place in Esa. 1.15. Though you make many prayers, yet I will not hear you; mark it, you that think because you make, or say, as you style it, many good prayers, sure God hears you; No, saith God, I will not hear, why, see verse 16. they were not washed from their sins, therefore the Prophet calls them, to come to the Lord that they might be pardoned, verse 38. 'tis true, when a poor sinner hath his heart smitten for sin, and comes to the Lord, upon the account of promises, of grace and pardon through Jesus Christ, with full purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord, and so begs for pardon, and all things that do accompany pardon and salvation, than God hears his cries at the very first breathing of his soul; Lam. 3.56. but not till then, doth God regard the multitude of his Prayers, Alms, Worship, Keeping conscience to men; therefore certainly if nothing be accepted with God, till in a pardoned condition, such an estate requires great and deep thoughts of heart of it.  
6. Upon all this, it will follow. That an unpardoned sinner will have no other word from the Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming, but, Go you cursed; Everlasting darkness, and wrath and woes and all misery must be his portion for ever. If he die in his sins, Joh. 8.29. his soul must be eternally damned without all Remedy; Live and die unpardoned, and be damned unpardoned: When Jesus Christ shall be come, neither he himself, nor Saint, nor Angel, will or can speak one word, for a soul that dies unpardoned, though the soul screek out for a drop of mercy; it will be answered with nothing but the Echoes, of the screekings of other desperate souls, ready to be hurled with it, into the same everlasting burn; no eye to pity there, though Ministers and Saints did warn, invite, weep, mourn, pity, when on this side the grave, yet at the great Judgement, it will not be so. No, nothing but upbraid of Devils, for neglecting Gospel-grace, and refusing the terms of pardon, and for gross security; This will be the portion of every unpardoned sinner, that neglects the day of his salvation; Therefore the pardon of sins requires the deepest thoughts of heart, and can never be made too sure to a poor sinful Creature.  
Use 1. If the pardon of sin be of so great and infinite weight, how doth this meet with the wretched deplorable carelessness of a world of souls in this day, that think of nothing less than whether their sins are pardoned, that will hear of nothing that may call this great matter into question, or way awaken them to it, Oh how many poor souls, (I fear too many of you, though so often and earnestly pressed to it) that were never before the Lord mourning after the pardon of your sins? What a leight matter would it be to be pardoned, if there should be no more in it, not care about it, than most sinners, that call themselves Christians, make about it; Ah, sinners, why do you make no more ado, no more matter of it; why so senseless of that, which is alone worthy all the thoughts of thy heart; if thou shouldst live a million of years to dispatch this one thing, to get thy sins all pardoned. You that are Elderly people have a large reckoning, specially upon your account of sinning against gospel-light and grace; make haste, what you do, do quickly, lay hold on eternal life: the sun is ready to let upon you, and woe with you, as ever you were men and women, if you fail of a good, and sure dispatch of this one corcernable thing, your sins being pardoned; And you that are younger, take heed lest the day of grace, set upon you, and you be given up to your own hearts lusts, and no word that is spoken from God or man, shall ever reach you; Oh tremble at trifling with convictions and light, but begin to honour the Lord Jesus, and bow unto him, and wait for the promised effusion of his spirit, and the joy of the Lord shall be the joy of your youth, and the love of the Lord will be very sweet and precious to you.  
2d. Exhort. Oh then let every soul of us be deeply affected with this weighty matter; let your souls say within you, Oh the dreadfulness of an unpardoned condition? what tongue can express it? to have all my store, (little or much), house, corn, cattle, all, under a curse, and enjoy it as a curse, and only to further my eternal damnation! to be hated of the great God, and not loved, to be under all the condemnation of the Law! where ever I read of wrath and woe, it belongs to me; to have not one of my prayers, or any thing else, accepted of the Lord! to be in a condition of expecting nothing from Jesus Christ at his coming, but go ye cursed; when I shall see so many blessed souls that took pains for Heaven, enter into the Kingdom, and myself shut out! Woe is me if I speak peace to my soul in such an estate, one moment more; Awake my soul, Awake. Away in to the blessed God for mercy, pardon, grace, Christ, his blood, spirit, holiness, eternal life; I will go, (the Lord helping me) and cry in the bitterness of my soul for them all; and if 'twere possible to weary the Lord with the cries of my poor soul, I will do it, till he have mercy upon me, and bid me go in peace; The gracious God shall as hardly deny me, as ever he did any poor sinner that lay bleeding at his feet for mercy and grace from heaven, to heal a poor condemned soul; Oh what have I been doing in the world all this while? get a little something, and my sins unpardoned; in daily danger of dying in them, and so be lost without all remedy for ever; Oh! such will be the great thoughts of heart about the pardon of sins, when the Lord shall speak to a poor sinner, and the Conscience shall be thoroughly awake about it.  
Oh! let me yet, in the name of the Lord, argue out this matter with thee. Be serious for once, and ponder it in thy heart, what is health or wealth? what is it to have something about thee in the world, & lay up yearly, & thou go deeper in debt with the just God every day? What if all the world be at Peace with thee, and God thy enemy, and hate thee, as thou hast been showed? What if all the world say of thee, Blessed; if God, and his holy Word of truth, pronounce thee Cursed, because thy sins lie upon thy soul, and the Spirit of grace is not upon thee▪ Ah! poor Creature, Do not, do not, let thy sins lie upon thy precious soul any longer, do not be contented to be a child of God's wrath any longer; Oh! do not, thou poor careless soul, if there be a spark of pity in thee; Do not, as the Devil flatters, rest in this, and say, I hope better, and I hope 'tis better with me, and I hope I am or shall be pardoned, and so fall asleep till thou drop into hell. You that think it an easy common matter to be pardoned, know not what it is, you have yet no part in this blessedness.  
Saith a poor convinced soul, 1. 'Tis a great matter that any sinner in the world is pardoned, much more, such a one as I, if ever I attain to it.  
2. Souls that get pardon, do make it their greatest care to be assured of it, they do not leave the matter at six and seven, and put it off with bidding the heart, hope well, but they labour after a Gospel- assurance of it.  
3. Such souls will labour to see that nothing be wanting that must accompany pardon of sin, and a state of salvation. Heb. 6.9.  
4. They try all their pretences to pardon and grace, over and over; and will take nothing upon trust from their hearts, or the Devil's flatteries, or the flatteries of carnal Ministers; but search and prove, and lay their hearts under the Word and Spirit, till it be sealed by the Holy Ghost, and that they are wrought of God for this self same thing, and that he hath given them the Earnest of the Spirit. 2 Cor. 5.5. Well, therefore say in thy heart, in good earnest, Oh! it hath not been so with me, I have been careless, I thought well of myself, I ne'er questioned this weighty matter to purpose. Oh! the Lord give me grace, to take pains in the use of means, to be violent for Heaven. Oh! I will not rest (Oh! let me not) till I am assured indeed that my, my, sins are done away and Christ is mine. Go, and say, and do it, and the God of all grace and might be with thee in it.  
But yet further, to press the weight of this matter upon thy Conscience, that thou mayest go off thoroughly convinced, and resolved to pursue effectually the compassing of this so great a blessing, of getting thy soul in a pardoned estate. Do but weigh with me the matchless blessedness of such a condition, and methinks, thy heart should not but be taken with it.  
1. Consider, Pardoned souls become the dear Children of God, see Eph. 1.5. etc. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his Will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved: in whom we have Redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, etc. The glorious grace of Adoption comes in upon the forgiveness of sins; therefore Chap. 5.1. the Apostle further hints this so blessed a privilege; Be ye followers of God, as dear Children; and Gal. 4.5. the Apostle gives it out as the great and blessed fruit of Redemption,— that we might receive the Adoption of Sons. Oh! to be translated from being amongst the children of wrath, to be numbered among the dear Children of God, to come under the protection, care, tender love of God as a Father; What soul would not be restless till he attain unto it?  
2. Pardoned souls have access to God; Eph. 2.18.3.12. In whom we have boldness and access, with confidence, by the faith of him. Heb. 4.16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. This is the blessedness of pardoned souls, they have free access to God, as a Child to a Father, to speak and plead to the Lord; As soon as ever they come before the Lord, they are admitted into his presence, and God's eye and ear is towards them, and they must have their errand, either in kind, or as good, or a better thing given to them. This is another inestimable good of blessed pardoned souls.  
3. As they are Gods dear Children, and have free access to him; so when once he hath freely and fully pardoned them, he loves them with an infinite, unmixed, unchangeable Love. Behold what manner of love is this, etc. 1 John 3.1. The Lord can as freely let out love, full love, to his pardoned ones, as if they had never sinned, because he never looks upon them out of Christ; when God takes a poor sinner to himself, he doth not barely and merely pardon him, and save him from wrath, and no more, (as earthly Princes pardon many whom they love not) but God sets his Love upon them, and it can never enter into his heart to hate them. He that loveth me, saith Christ, shall be loved of my Father, Joh. 14.21. And if God afflict them, 'tis to make them better, more like unto himself, to bestow more grace upon them, Heb. 12.10. and God's Love to his blessed children is like himself, Infinite, unmixed, everlasting. This is another infinite blessing of pardoned souls, to be thus loved by their God.  
4. Pardoned souls are brought into a justified state, from which they shall never fall. Thus runs the tenor of the New Covenant, the bottom of all this blessedness; I will remember their sins no more, Heb. 8.12.— No more, Words of a sweet and blessed sound, to whom they are spoken by the Holy Ghost, that when poor souls that have come to Jesus Christ, in a Gospel way, for pardon, and have pleaded, and taken hold of promises of grace for that end, and yet sometimes unbelief is stirring. Oh! will not God, one time or other, call back to remembrance all my former iniquities, and charge them upon me? No, saith the Lord, it shall never enter into my heart, I will remember them No More; Blessed words, and blessed condition indeed. Ah! who would be without it?  
5. Pardoned souls, shall be kept in the hand of the Lord in all their ways, 1 Pet. 1.5. His Love, Fear, Laws, Power, Spirit, shall be in their hearts, that they shall not fall from him, Jer. 32.40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not departed from me; He preserveth the souls of his Saints; He keepeth the feet of his Saints. Psal. 97.10. 1 Sam. 2.9. yea, he will keep them from evil, and nothing shall befall them but for their good. Rom. 8.28. And if they fall, the Lord humbles them, heals them, takes them up again, putteth new strength into them, and his kindness must not departed from them.  
6. Pardoned souls are Gods Heirs; Gal. 4.7. Rom. 8.15. etc. Heirs of God through Christ, and joint-heirs with Christ, Heirs of all his Promises, of an incorruptible inheritance that never fadeth away, reserved in Heaven for them. 1 Pet. 1.9. Though the Lord give them no inheritance of earthly possessions, yet they are his special Heirs of the heavenly inheritance. Not the poorest believer in the world, but may say with a heart full of blessed and humble rejoicing; Though I am worthless in myself, and am so accounted in the world, yet through infinite grace, I am one of the richest Heirs in the world; a Co-heir with Christ, of an exceeding eternal weight of glory.  
Use 1. If such, and more than is or can be named, be the blessedness of pardoned souls, Ah! what poor secure sinner (that must also be everlastingly damned without it) would miss of it? Say sinner, instead of being cursed, hated, damned, and that for ever, for ever, (for as is mercy and love to pardoned ones, so is wrath to such as miss of it, for ever) I say, instead of that, which any heart but what is plagued with hardness, would melt and tremble at, to become a dear child of God, and have free access to God, be loved of God, for ever justified, no sin for ever remembered against thee, every thing befall thee for good, and be an Heir of God, and be even as blessed as God can make thee, and that for ever. Ah! where's the sinner that would be without this? Who would slight that word of the Lord that would teach you, and lead you to this blessedness? Who would despise, or neglect the day of grace, now while within the reach of it? Who would run a dreadful hazard of being given up of God, if you thus trifle with a Gospel of salvation? Ah! the good Lord pity you that do thus; you are fit to be mourned over had we hearts to do it, with tears of blood. Yet once more, Awake, awake, you careless ones, before bodies drop into the grave, and souls into hell. Oh! do not do not take pleasure in soul-murder; do not put off the one, only, main, necessary work, and leave it undone, till it may be impossible to have it done. Tell me in good earnest, Canst thou well be without the pardon of thy sins here and for ever? Soul, thou mayst well enough be without much Land, and much money, and many great friends, and yet be well, exceeding well contented, nay better, if thou hast Christ and grace then with them. But say canst thou, canst thou well be without the pardon of thy sins? Canst thou well live and die hated by the great and righteous God? Canst thou well be where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies? Say, canst thou well miss the presence of the ever blessed God to all eternity? Are damned shrieking Spirits good company for ever and ever? Away, away sinner to the blessed God, betake thyself (put it not off an hour longer) to crying, repenting, mourning to God for free pardon, for Christ, for the Spirit, and look up to the Lord to give thee a heart to do it, wait humbly, and carefully on the Gospel of grace preached; and yet, though thou hast hitherto been idle, thou mayest attain to this blessedness, as well as the blessedst Saint in the world, if thou wilt be serious, diligent, earnest, (as so weighty a matter requires) about it. The good Lord give thee a heart to do it.  
2 Do not rest in false evidences, false hopes of pardon. Many sinners might seem to have got pardon, and gone well to Heaven, if they had not vainly and foolishly hoped so. Oh rest in nothing, and never rest without it (as I have pressed thee in love) till thou canst say, from a well grounded Gospel-evidence, wrought forth with fear and trembling, Now I have the blessedness that accompanies pardoned souls: Now, oh now (rejoice with me blessed souls) I am, I am a child of God, I have access to the blessed God, and my soul pleads with him every day. Ah now, God, my God, doth love me; Now I am justified, in a state of justification, from which my God will never let me fall. Ah, my sins, though great shall be remembered no more, no more; I shall be kept, safely kept, in all my ways; If I fall, the Lord will take me up, and I shall not utterly fall; however, it is, or may be with me as to the world and the things of it, I am rich (though poor, worthless, nothing in myself,) with all the riches, unsearchable riches of my Christ, I am an Heir of God; I need nothing. Oh, the sweetness, peace, joy, contentment, Heaven of such a blessed, & for ever blest condition! Now tell me sinner (and let it stick with thee till thou art got well to Heaven) is not, is not, the pardon of thy sins the work of the greatest weight before thee on this side the grave? which is that I first promised thee to prove to thy Conscience from the first Observation.  
3. I might from hence insist to stir up poor souls, who have been awake for Heaven, and have been, and are crying and waiting for the pardon of your sins, to be in this matter with all your might, because you see 'tis wonderfully weighty and concernable to you, beyond all imaginations; get your doubts, and fears and misgivings of heart well removed; see from whence your doubts do arise, and follow them home to your hearts, and then be with the Lord much, and in his Word and Ordinances, till the Lord make it clear day in thy soul, and thou walk in a sweet spirit of Adoption before him.  
4. Let pardoned ones, whom it hath cost much, as to means to get it made good to you, make much of your comfort, and do not Trifle it, nor sin it away; and keep the sense of a pardoned condition warm and lively upon your spirits, and then you will love the Lord much. Luke 7.47. Lord thou hast forgiven much, as much as to any; Oh let me, let me love, love much, very much.  

Conviction of sin and self-emptiness.  
THe second Consideration we observed from the words, and proposed to be opened, was this;  
Obs. 2. Such who come to God to have their sins pardoned, they look upon them as great sins.  
Pardon my iniquity for it is great, etc. The Original word as well signifies Many, as Great, my sins are great and many, Many great sins lie upon me, pardon, Oh pardon them, oh Lord, etc.  
Thus you have this blessed man David in several Psalms, aggravating his sin, Psa. 38.4. Mine iniquities are gone over my head, and are a burden too heavy for me to bear; against thee only have I sinned. Psa. 51. So blessed Paul, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief; That sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful. Rom. 7.13. So Peter at the first glimpse of Christ, and a word from him, falls upon his knees, cries out, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, etc. Luke 5.8. So the Publican, God be merciful to me a sinner, a great, vile, sinner, nothing else but a sinner: So the Prodigal, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in thy sight, etc. Luke 18.13. ct 15.21.  
In the opening of this Point, first I would show, Why, such as come in a right way for pardon, do look upon their sins as great sins.  
2. How they come to see them so.  
3. When a sinner may be said to have seen his sins so great, as a pardoned soul should do.  
First, Sinners that come to God for pardon and find it, do look upon their sins as great sins, because against a great God, great in power, great in justice, great in holiness; I am a worm, and yet sin, and that boldly, against a God so great; for a worm to lift up himself against a great and infinite God; Oh this makes every little sin great, and calls for great vengeance from so great a God.  
2. Because they have sinned against great patience, despising the goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering of God, which is called, treasuring up of wrath, Rom. 2.4, 5. Oh, saith a poor abased sinner at God's feet, How have I wearied the patience of God? I have not wearied thee, saith God, but thou hast been weary of me, and hast made me to serve with thy sins, and wearied me with thine iniquities. Esay 43.23, 24. Oh, this is an humbling and heart-breaking word to a poor soul before the Lord; this makes his sin appear great indeed. I have wearied the blessed God with my sin, and yet he calls upon me that he may pardon me, ver. 25. of the same Chapter. This greatens sin to purpose to a poor soul that hath abused much patience.  
3. Sins do appear great, because against great mercies. Oh against how many mercies and kindnesses do sinners sin against, and turn all the mercies of God into sin! Oh, saith a poor soul, drawing near to God, I turned all the mercies of the Lord against him, took his mercies and fought against him with them, and served the Devil and my lusts with them; If God will come and account with me for them, how shall I answer him?  
4. That which greatens sin in the eyes of poor sinners that cry for pardon, is, that they have sinned against great light, light in the Conscience; this heightens sin exceedingly, specially to such as are under Gospel-means: and is indeed the sin of all in this Nation; there's nothing more abaseth a soul than this, nothing makes it more difficult to believe pardon, when humbled for it: therefore 'tis, that many poor souls fear they have sinned the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost, because they have sinned against knowledge and light, which though while they are humbled before the Lord, it cannot be that they have so sinned unpardonably; yet in as much as 'tis the sin that borders next upon the sin against the Holy Ghost, it much greatens sin to a poor soul under the sense of it. Such a sinner is said to reproach the Lord, Numb. 15.30; 31. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin; James 4. last. To him it is sin, that is, great sin, of which God will take the severest account: Therefore such as have the profession of Christianity, and the knowledge of the Word in some measure, and yet go on unpenitently in sin, they are the greatest sinners in the world, & will have the greatest damnation; And this circumstance in sin makes, or should do so, such souls that never lived in notorious sins be under deep abasement, because, though their sins were not so gross, as many others, yet they were against great light, and knowledge, which makes every little sin, continued in, great in the account of God, and great in the account of the sinner, when he comes before the Lord in the sense of it. Oh, I pleased myself in sins that I knew to be sins, and was convinced by the word of God of them; yet I went on, and loved them;  
5. Continuance in sin, much greatens sin to a poor soul that is after pardon; specially such as are not very early converted. God will wound the hairy scalp of such a one that goeth on still in his trespasses. Psal. 68.21. Oh, I added sin unto sin, saith a poor soul, spending the choice time of my youth in sin, when I might have been getting the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and honouring of God. This lay close upon David's spirit, as appears in this 25th. Psa. 7. Oh remember not the sins of my youth, etc. Yet we do not find that David's youth was notoriously sinful; but in as much as he spent not his youth to get knowledge, and to serve the Lord fully, 'twas his burden and complaint before the Lord; much more such whose youth was spent in nothing but vanity, profaneness, lying, swearing, profaning of the Sabbath, sports, pastimes, excess of riot, and the like, when God lays it in upon their consciences, must be grievous and abominable to their souls.  
6. Multitudes of sins do make sin appear great; this made David cry out for multitude of mercies, Psa. 51. and Psa. 40.12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head, therefore my heart faileth me. One sin, but a sinful thought, is worthy of a thousand hells, much more, multiplied, numberless, infinite sins, in thought, words, walkings, calling, worship, in all I have done, I did nothing else but sin: therefore the least sinner in the world is a great sinner, when God lays his account before him.  
7. Another thing that greatens sin is, that it was against purposes and resolutions of forsaking such and such sins; and yet all broken, sometimes against solemn vows, against prayers: this consideration upon many a poor soul sticks hard, and lays low, and makes his sin grievous indeed, that against purposes, vows, prayers, he should return to his sin; this makes him cry out, Oh my sin is great, great indeed, Doth, will, the Lord pardon such a wretch? etc.  
8. Sin appears great when seen by a poor soul, because it was reigning sin, Rom. 5. & 6. Sin reigned to death, etc. Oh, saith a poor humbled sinner, I did not only commit sin, but I was the servant and slave of sin, I obeyed sin as a lord, and that willingly, I obeyed it in the lusts thereof; where God, Christ, his Spirit, Word, Law, should have dwelled and reigned, there sin and lusts bore sway, and had the command of my soul. A little sin when a reigning sin, is a great sin. All that sin can do is but to rule the sinner, and so it doth the least sinner that is under it, though it break not forth into gross notorious actings against the Lord, and this doth much greaten it.  
9 Sin in the fountain makes it great; As it may be said, there is more water in the fountain, then in the pools and streams it makes; because there is a continual issuing and flowing out of it, which is able to make far greater streams: so sin in the nature, in the heart, is there as in the fountain, and therefore 'tis more there than in the break forth of it in the outward man; so that, though a sinner in his youth hath been restrained from many great sins, yet in as much, as sin in the fountain was as full as in any sinner in the world, though restrained & penned in, (which the sinner was not beholding to his own heart for) it renders him a great sinner before the Lord, when savingly enlightened. The want of this consideration makes outwardly righteous persons not look upon themselves as great sinners; they see and feel not sin infinite in the fountain of it, which mostly greatens it, above all the actings of it in life.  
10. A sinner drawing nigh to God for pardon, sees his sin as great, because thereby he was led captive by the Devil at his will; He that committeth sin is of the Devil, 1 John 3.8. comitteth sin, so as in a state of sin, under the power of sin, and not born of God; why, such a one is of the Devil, under the power of the Devil; of the Devil and not of God; and this because of sin, which gives this dominion to the Devil. Oh, saith a poor Creature, I that was the creature of God, and should have lived to him, lived to the Devil, and the service of him; and took part with him, against Christ, his Word, his Saints, and was an enemy to them: this greatens my sin before the Lord.  
11. Sin appears great, because great is the wrath of God against sin; sinners are said to heap up wrath, Rom. 2. and they are called the Children of wrath. God to manifest his displeasure against sin, is fain to pour out everlasting wrath upon an unpardoned sinner, to leave the sinner under endless torment of soul and body. God hates nothing but sin, and for sin, and so hates it, that infinite endless wrath must be the vengeance of it. Oh, when God gives a sinner a glimpse of this! Oh the greatness of every little sin to deserve such wrath! How shall I flee from and escape the wrath to come? who can stand before such wrath, who can bear it?  
12. The way of any sinner's deliverance from such wrath, shows sin to be exceeding great, in the price and ransom that is paid for the salvation of him from his sins, the price of the blood of the eternal son of God. How great was sin, how sinful and damnable the nature of it in the eye of the righteous God, when justice could not be satisfied but by such a way? Oh, saith a poor soul that comes for pardon, what a damnable thing is sin, which was once nothing to me, that redemption from it is at such a rate! God had no greater a price to give, than what he laid down to save a wretched sinner from his sin. Oh, 'twas great sin that must crucify the Lord of life and glory: therefore doth my soul hate it.  
13. Lastly, This consideration also greatens sin, in- as much as a poor creature hath drawn and tempted others to sin with him, specially such as have lived more vainly & loosely, & it lies hard upon many a poor soul after thorough conviction. Oh, how many have I drawn to sin, not only by my example, but encouragement and persuasion, that may be now in hell for such sins, or are under a state of impenitency, and hardened by me. Oh this is an abasing consideration, to a poor convinced, humbled sinner, when God smites his heart with it.  
Use 1. Before we go further, let us labour to apply this to the consciences of all. I have showed you, the matter we are upon, is the weightiest that ever took up God's heart, the pardoning of a sinner; and therefore, how should it swallow up the hearts of poor undone souls that are so infinitely concerned in it (I beseech you therefore, lay to your hearts what hath been spoken as to the greatness of sin; And consider, If souls that come to God by Christ for pardon, see their sins as great sins, and 'tis their great trouble that they cannot see them greater;  
First then, This may serve to take off that woeful deceit of heart, and delusion of the Devil of poor careless souls that dream of pardon, and yet never in any measure thus saw their sins as great; This shows the heart was never touched of God, never smitten for sin as yet; This is the way indeed of unpardoned sinners, they are lessening their sins to God and themselves, finding out circumstances to lessen them, of others tempting them, and the Devil, and the like, and, many or most of men or women allow themselves in the same, or they were overtaken, or the like; they think they can easily pacify God again, and that God makes not so great a matter of it; thus a deceitful heart and a cheating Devil juggle together, and sooth Conscience in a damnable peace; And such souls call their great reigning sins their infirmity, and God will not be so exact, as some of the Preachers make him; here's a sinner riverted in a cursed estate. But now take a soul whom God (as I shall show) hath made sensible of sin, and the weight of pardon, and comes to the feet of the Lord for it; 'tis quite otherwise. Oh, my sins, wretch that I was and am, were little sins to me before, but now they are great sins; I called it my infirmity to lie, swear, profane the Sabbath, allow myself in any excess; but now I see 'twas reigning sin, soul-damning sin, great, oh great sin; Oh that I am out of hell! Oh the patience of God Is there mercy for such a wretch? What a wonder will it be if I get to Heaven? How great will that mercy be that pardons me?  
2. Therefore, in the second place, examine how it is with you? and whether you have had some such workings of heart; Have you been before the Lord in David's posture, Oh, mine iniquity is great, Oh I have sinned against a great God, wearied great patience, turned great mercies into sin. Oh I have sinned against great light, How shall I be pardoned? Sins continued in, and multiplied from my youth up, and these against serious purposes, under the reign of it; there's an infinite fountain of all evil within me. If I have been any way restrained, no thanks to my own heart for it. Oh, saith a poor soul, I was led by the Devil, befooled by the Devil, served the Devil against God; And now, what can I challenge at the hands of God? What belongs to me but wrath, great wrath, everlasting wrath, infinite wrath? If one sin deserves a thousand hells, what do innumerable transgressions do? If mercy be not infinite, how shall I look up to God, or how shall God look down upon me? Oh, I say, let your Conscience answer; hath it been thus, in some good and real measure, though not so deep as your soul desires. I know there are degrees, and I also know till God come to let out Himself in such a way as this, that sin is ☞ great, and greater in mine eye then ever, we make but slight work of it in out spirits: want of this makes many in these days run away with pleasant notions of Grace, Christ, Light, (though blessed be the Lord for ever, for the more glorious Revelation of all these, but I speak of abuses) but sin was never great by the appearance of God, and so they wanton with such notions which at last wear off, and so they come to nothing, but a reproach to the Gospel.  
3. In the third place, therefore, let it serve to exhort sinners to look back upon your lives, even from your youth up: you may find one more of the discoveries mentioned of the greatness of sin, that you will fall under; specially such as have been given to the profaneness and vanities of the age you live in, lying, swearing, profaning of the Sabbath, to riot, ungodly pastimes and sports, reviling the godly, or other more secret wickednesses and pollutions; any of which may be speak thee in a state of sin and wrath, joined with thy living in the neglect of known duties, upon which neglect God hath pronounced a curse, as the neglect of secret or Family-prayer, Jer. 10. ult.  
Or if thou hast not been engaged in gross sins, but hast been sober and well carriaged from thy youth up, yet thou mayst be still in a state of sin, but go a little more soberly to hell, and in more danger of being damned in thy civil sober carriage then great sinners; with which thou art apt to compare thyself, and seeing thyself not so bad as them, thinkest all is well; But remember well, what hath been proved, that sin is greater in the Fountain, than the streams, though it make a greater noise or show to others in the stream of ones life; thou hast a Hell in thy nature, an infinite fountain of any wickedness, that ever any of the Sons or Daughters of men did commit, An Idolater, An Adulterer, A Murderer, A Sodomite, A devil in thy heart and whole frame, thy nature; In a word, one sin, which thou callst little, reigning but in thy heart, and cherished there is enough to send thee to hell, as if thou wert the veriest reprobate living. Remember, the same Paul, that thought himself a blameless man, Philip. 3.6. afterwards cries out, of exceeding sinfulness, Rom. 7.13. yea the greatest, the chief of sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. But I hope to meet with thee, and with thy conscience, as to this conviction, more hereafter.  
The next inquiry will be, when a poor soul may be said to be under such a discovery of the greatness of sin, as may lead him to get pardon through Jesus Christ.  
1. One discovery I have named already; which is, such a soul doth not go about to lessen his sin, but greaten it to his greater abasement; 'tis his fear he doth not see his sin great enough, to lay him low enough before the Lord.  
2. When such a sight and discovery of sin, it begets trouble upon the spirit; In Psal. 38. you have David under a great discovery of sin, and he cries out, there is no rest in my bones, because of my sin, I am troubled, I am bowed down, I go mourning all the day; such a trouble, that will not admit of peace and healing but from Jesus Christ, till it can take hold of Jesus Christ in a promise of grace and pardon, and come to him, and close with him, to be justified and Sanctified by him and in him; as I am at large to show, if God will. I speak this, because there is a trouble for sin, that often ends in a more dangerous peace: many poor creatures have for a time been troubled for sin, and they have made one shift or other to quiet themselves, it may be leave their sins, and do a little something more, but never come in a Gospel way to Christ; which I am also (through grace) to evidence in the discovery of a false conversion. However, so it is, that every soul that is unbottomed from a false peace, a peace in sin, or his duties, he comes under trouble, more or less, in and for his sin, as he gets to pardon.  
3. God smites a soul for some special particular sin; Jer. 3.13. Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways under every green tree, etc. General acknowledgement of sins, comes to nothing, 'tis the the note of a Hypocrite; but particular sins lying upon the soul, speak forth spiritual convictions, when joined, I mean, with other workings of heart we are now setting forth.  
4. As God smites, so the sinner is in particular confession before the Lord, loads his heart with sin, till it breaks.  
Object. But who will not confess himself a sinner, you will say?  
Answ. Truly few, in a Scripture saving sense; A word or two more to this; That confession of sin before the Lord is a duty, and such as hath the promise of forgiveness of sin, (the issue of all we are driving at), such places of Scripture will clear, Psal. 32. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid; I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin; Prov. 28.13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall find mercy; If we confess our sins he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, 1 John 1.9. This being a duty to which so blessed promises are annexed, 'tis of much concernment to souls that are very serious about forgiveness to have it stated aright, according to Scripture and saving Experience.  
There is a confession of sin, that doth not entitle to the promise; which a hypocrite may reach to; so Pharaoh, Exod. 9.27. I have sinned this time, the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked; here's confession but no pardon; so Judas, Math. 27.3, 4. I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood; so Saul, 1 Sam. 15.29. I have sinned, for I have transgressed the Commandment of the Lord; Here are verbal enforced confessions when the hand of God was upon them, and yet did not end in mercy.  
The confession of a Hypocrite proceeds only from judgement felt or feared; but that which is sincere and ends in mercy & pardon, goes upon better grounds.  
1. As first, Confession that hath the promise of pardon, is accompanied with hatred of sin. So in that blessed draught of the new Covenant, Ezek. 36. I will save you from your uncleannesses, etc. verse 29. and verse 31. Then shall you remember your own evil ways, and your do that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Then, when God comes in a way of mercy and pardon, then, God will make them remember their wickednesses, that they had even forgotten, and had thought that God had forgotten them also: they thought they were good ways before, but now the Lord shows them they were not good, and they loathe themselves: sin is not only a terror, but a loathsome thing to them, hateful to the soul that is under this conviction.  
2. Whence, secondly, Saving confession respects the pollution of sin. They shall loathe themselves, etc. That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee; In that 38. Psal. David is in self-loathing; this doth arise (as presently I shall show) from a glimpse of God's holiness, which I humbly conceive, ☞ No reprobate in the world doth reach to; to loath sin because it makes him an unholy Creature.  
3. It follows therefore that such confession drives sin to the root, to the fountain, there sees it most abominable, odious, infinite. So David, Psal. 51.5. I was shapen in iniquity, etc. A Hypocrites confession ends in outward gross sins, from terror only, and reacheth not to heart-sin, pollution of nature; and if he can reach to reform such outward gross sins, he hath done, as he thinks, the utmost, but never comes to loathe, (and so to mortify, through the spirit), sin at the root: but sincere souls, touched by the holy Ghost, with a saving sense of sin, do drive sin home to its original, to its root, in the universal corruption of heart and nature, and there the severest edge and indignation against it, is let forth.  
4. Brokeness of heart for sin is an effect of such confession, Psal. 51, 17. Isa. 61.1. & 57, 15. And this ariseth upon sense of God's patience, goodness, love; As hatred of the pollution of sin, ariseth from a sight of God's holiness; Pharaoh cries out, he had sinned when he smarted with punishment, but was still under the plague of his hard heart, Exod. 9.27, & 34. There is indeed, a kind of brokenness that the hammerings of terror, by punishments, or by the word, may work, which may a little wear and rough-hew the heart, and yet go no further, but yet leave the heart under its natural hardness, but now that which is the spirits saving work kindly melts the heart, makes it soft, and so it can pour out itself to God, as a thing melted, in heart-melting confessions; at least, the poor soul, mourns over the hardness of its heart, oh that I have thus sinned, and yet my heart will not break? blessed be every stroke, and every word of God, and every Ordinance, that, though grace, breaks my heart more; A sincere soul sets a high price upon brokenness, and yet rests not in it, etc.  
5. Such confession that hath the promise is accompanied with soul-abasement; He that humbleth himself, shall be exalted, Luke 18.14. spoken upon the Publicans acceptance with God in his confession, under brokenesse, smiting upon his breast, and deep abasement, not lifting up his eyes to heaven: So that great promise, 2 Chron. 7.14. If my people shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, & will forgive their sins; This a work of the narrowest search of any other. I intent, if the Lord will, to speak to this more distinctly and fully, in another discourse. Only now a word of such a humiliation as is joined with such confession, that hath the promise of pardon, which is the scope we drive at.  
1. When the soul is in confession, and under the Lords humblings in order to pardon, The poor Creature acknowledgeth himself infinitely unworthy that ever the Lord should cast a look upon him, or give out mercy and pardon to him: This conclusion is fixed upon the soul, and the soul falls down abased in the sense of it, what ever the Lord do with me, I will lay my mouth in the dust, I am worthy of nothing from the Lord, but a thousand Hells; this quiets the heart in some measure, what ever the pleasure of the Lord be towards him.  
2. As the poor sinful Creature is worthy of nothing, so he will give glory to God, if God never pardon; God is never the less righteous, or holy, wise, or good, if he never let out one drop of mercy upon so vile a Creature: yet he is a God blessed for ever; Thou art holy, saith David, Psal. 22.3. But I am a worm, and no man, verse 6. A worm sit for God, and man to tread upon, and yet must not rise up against God, nor say to him, what dost thou? no Man: I have unmanned myself with sin, I am dust and vanity itself, vile dust; that's my make, my frame: oh I must give glory to his justice, though I perish for ever.  
3. The poor Creature hath no good, no not the least, to procure pardon, or to move God to pardon, Psal. 14.3. Saith, a poor humbled soul treating for pardon, if mercy and pardon must come forth upon terms of my good, having or doing any thing, but what hath infinitely sin enough in it to damn me for ever; assuredly to Hell I must: No, sin enough to send a world of souls to Hell, but not a drop of good to move the Lord to mercy. If God give our mercy upon a sight of good, I expect not a drop from him.  
4. It follows from hence when a sinner comes humbled, he comes as nothing else but a sinner: Luke 18.13. God be merciful to me a sinner: one, that's nothing else but a wretched sinner, for so the Publican means it, as in a contrary frame to the Pharisee, who thanks God that he was not so bad as many were, though the Pharisee no doubt would acknowledge some sin, but now the Publican is All a sinner, in as bad a condition as any sinner in the world: ☞ Here's a touchstone: poor souls in these days, they hope they have not so much need of Christ, as many great sinners, they be not nothing else but sinners, they have or do some good; The discussion of this, will be the next discourse, only now a word more; Know sinner, that one sin strikes off all thy pretended good, as shall at large, through mercy, be proved to thee: stick to one drop of good in thee or from thee, when thou comest for mercy and pardon, and thou losest all: oh to be wholly condemned, wholly unrighteous, wholly a sinner, is a great work; 'tis the most distinguishing conviction of any other. While a man hath any thing to live upon, he is not fit to beg; so while a soul hath a drop of any thing, that in his own sense, may the more admit him to pardon, he cannot have it. Take it thus: If one came to your doors and beg, and he hath good clothes on his back, and he should say, I have good clothes on my back, I have something of my own, therefore I pray Give me: would you not answer, if you have something of your own, & are pretty well clothed, why should you beg; 'tis not for you to come and ask alms? But if a poor naked wretch come, and say & cry: oh I am a poor creature, a poor naked destitute creature, I have nothing, all's gone, I have lost all, pray cover me, pray feed me, out of great pity; you will look upon such a poor wretch, and do something for him, if you have any bowels; So, if a sinner, (as that Pharisee did) come and say, Lord I have done this and this, I have not been so wicked as many, I do some good, therefore pardon; that therefore will make the Lord send thee away without mercy: no saith God, live upon what thou hast, if thou hast any thing; Oh sinner thou art not fit to beg, (to beg mercy and pardon) till thou hast just nothing of thy own: which the natural pride of thy heart will very hardly come off to.  
5. In the way of men's tribunals of Justice, and Courts of life and death; If a Malefactor be condemned by the Law, and he yet plead, Though I am proved a thief or a murderer, yet I have kept the rest of the Law, I have broken no Law of the Nation that deserves death beside, shall not this rather justify me, than this crime condemn me; No, saith the Judge, That's nothing to us, though thou hast kept the Law in other things, thou must die by the Law, as a trangressour of it, for this thou hast done: why then, saith the condemned person, I must plead all mercy. Just so it is at the tribunal of God; comes a poor soul that is convinced he hath sinned, oh but saith he in his heart, I have kept the Law in many or most things, will not that commend me to God? will not God look upon my good more than my evil? No, saith God in his word, thou hast broken the Law, and thou art cursed, therefore the Law can show thee no mercy, I can take no notice of any of thy pretended keeping of it in any other thing; oh then, must a poor sinner say, than it must be all, all of mercy, if I am ever pardoned; this may be enough to discover such a humiliation that follows confession that hath the promise of pardon, and doth also further evidence the main point, which is to set forth, when a Sinner so sees his sin, as great sin in order to pardon.  
6. One thing more, which I shall but mention; such a confession of sin as hath the promise of mercy, is accompanied with a firm resolution, through grace, to forsake sin, every sin, in heart and life; He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall find mercy, Prov. 28. as before. Mark well that famous promise, Esay 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon; here's forsaking way and thoughts; sins of heart and life, and not a forsaking or leaving of some great sins, but forsaking and warring against a sinful disposition, sinful thoughts, and not only a mere leaving of sin, but a returning to the Lord, which he cannot do, if held under the love of but one sin; and a turning to God only upon the account of free mercy, and then God abundantly pardons: A good word suited to a poor soul, under the sense of sinning abundantly, therefore need of abundance of mercy and pardon.  
Use 4. Therefore the next Use will be, of Examination: Have you been under such a trouble, as before opened, about sin and the pardon of it? such a trouble that would not be quieted but by clasping about Jesus Christ; hath the Lord smitten you with the deep sense of a particular sin, your bosom sin, and thereby been brought to a deep sense of the evil of all sin? Have you been upon your knees, your faces, in as particular a confession as your could, hating, loathing, sin and yourselves in it? Oh have you driven sin to the root, the fountain! oh there's a Hell of it within? Say, do you know what it is to have broken hearts under the weight of sin, and the sense of the patience, grace, and love of God, held forth to you in Jesus Christ. Do you know what soul-abasement is, acknowledging in confusion of face, that you are worthy of nothing from the Lord for ever? not so much as a glimpse of mercy, a good look from him, because you have so sinned against him? Have you glorified God though he never pardon you? and is he holy and blessed, though you are banished from him for ever? Have you been so reduced to see that there's not the least atom of good to commend you to the Lord? and so lain down as nothing else but a sinnerr before him? Thousands of sins to damn thee, but not a drop of righteousness to cover thee; and so creep to the seat of mercy, infinite, free mercy? yea hast thou seen and felt the difficulty of such a self-emptines, that thou wouldst rather part with all thy sin, than thy righteousness; yea rather be righteous and holy, than be humble and empty; ☞ A poor soul would take up from sin, upon conviction of the damnableness of it, and be more righteous and holy, but to be reduced first to Nothing, nothing else but a poor, vile, unrighteous, weak, empty creature, and so to Christ; here the pride of heart sticks. Now soul, be narrow and close in the search of this; for fail here, and fail in all. But I intent a larger discourse to further this Conviction.  
Use 5. Let it exhort you that have never been under any trouble about your sin and the pardon of it, that you do dot ward off, and get from under such convincing, searching, words that may trouble you: many poor sinful Creatures resolve they will never hearken to such a word as shall trouble them; and cannot bear such preaching as would trouble their consciences; One word with you; Why soul, Hast thou been dishonouring God, abusing his patience and mercy, transgressing his holy Commands, slighting his grace, and yet thou must not be troubled for it? wilt thou have thousands of sins upon thy soul, unpardoned, and tread upon the brink of Hell every step thou goest, and not be troubled about it? It seems than thou resolvest not to trouble thyself much about that petty business (as thou makest it) of being damned for ever, or saved for ever? No, nothing about sin, guilt, pardon, heaven, and hell, must trouble thee? Alas, poor deluded creature, what a care is there to get to hell peaceably; for never any one got to heaven so, that was never troubled about getting his sins pardoned: Away, away with such a cursed peace, and let it now trouble thee that thou hast put off this work so long, that sin and thy soul have been at such a peace so long. Be now at a professed war against it, and take part with the Lord and his word, that is teaching thee how yet to arrive at the blessed haven of peace, not with sin, but with the blessed God, against whom thou hast so greatly sinned; Oh look unto him to smite a hard secure heart, to strike at a bosom hellish lust, for whose peace thou hast so long, and so foolishly contended: yea go in secret, and fall down before the great God, particularly confessing and shaming thyself, haring, loathing, humbling, till thou cry out, as David here, Oh pardon; what a great matter 'tis for any poor soul to be pardoned? Now, great mercy for a great sinner, or I am lost for ever. Out-sinned pardon thou hast not, if thou comest in this posture to God for it.  
But you may further inquire, how doth God bring a poor soul to this pass, to such a deep sense of sin, such a sight of himself, so as to be thus before the the Lord, in self-loathing, and abasement. I intent also, if God will, a fuller and set-discourse as to this matter: Only now a word; (1.) When a soul is brought to this pass, God lets out an appearance of himself in measure, upon a poor creature, such a glimpse of light and purity, that makes the creature fall down, and cry out, oh I am vile, vile as the dust I tread on? (2.) God gives out his spirit in the word, which convinceth, and searcheth the soul, shows it its condition, state, sin, the damnableness and pollution of it, the greatness of it, as was showed: The spirit opens the holiness and spirituality of the Law, Rom. 7.9. and shows the sinner as in glass what he is; The spirit gives a sight of Jesus Christ pierced with the sins of such as will come unto him, Zach. 12.10. These do cause loathing and bitterness upon the soul of a poor sinner, drawing near to the Lord for pardon.  
Therefore 'tis great wisdom to be where God speaks, where God appears, where God gives out his spirit, which is usually in the word preached powerfully, among the Saints meetings; or setting thyself in secret to muse and ponder about an eternal condition, or when the afflicting hand of God is upon thee; do not say, I am not so great a sinner as to make so much a do about pardon, or heaven, if that be thy temper, thou art the most likely to be in the roadway of hell, in a peace that will end in woes and sorrows, of any soul in the world. Oh wait for God's appearance, and every little sin will be great, a hell of sin within thee, though outwardly civil and sober; wait for the Spirit in the Word, and go, and pray for it. 'Tis one thing to know sin by the Letter of the Law, which commands this, and forbids that, and another thing to know, see, feel sin, and the infinite evil of it, the exceeding sinfulness and pollution of it, by the conviction of the Spirit; so as to see it most in the fountain, in thy nature, and there loath and bewail it, because it makes thee unclean, and unholy, and unlike God, and unfit for God and holy communion with him: which is the way and most certain evidence of the Spirits saving conviction of sin, (as distinguishing from that which a hypocrite may have) and carries a soul to the fountain opened, Zach. 13.1. that its iniquity may be thoroughly cleansed.  
Use 6. If sinners that come to God for mercy & pardon see their sin as great, than it will also follow that great sinners may be pardoned & saved; You that are great sinners, old sinners, Oh harken to this, you are yet within the reach of grace, and mercy, and pardon, if you will come to Jesus Christ for it, the greatness of your sin is no bar to you; but, if you fail of pardon, 'tis because you will not come to Christ for it, and accept it upon Gospel-terms; you will not have pardon with a new heart and new life; or you make a slight matter of pardon, or you think 'twill come of course; or you are afraid to enter into a serious review and debate with yourselves, because your sins are so great, they will terrify you, or take you off your pleasure and peace of your minds, and joy in the world; Away, away, with any of these pleas; though, thou hast sinned much, greatly, long, with all thy might, come to Jesus Christ, & those great sins are no more before his blood to wash them away then the least sin (if any be little) that ever was committed and pardoned, Esay 1.18. Do not hence say securely, Oh 'tis well, that great sinners may be pardoned, I ever thought so, what need so much ado? Do not thus harden thyself, and make such a cursed use of so blessed a truth; but therefore come in, lay down thy weapons with which thou hast been fight against God; Wilt thou hold up rebellion, and yet cry pardon? Is it equitable thou shouldst expect it? No, fall down at the feet of that God against whom thou hast so greatly sinned, in the posture hath been showed thee; and than though sin hath abounded, yet grace doth much more abound, Rom. 5. last. Great sinners have become great Saints, 1 Cor. 6.11. Such were some of you? who were they? Idolaters, Adulterers, Revilers, Sodomites, etc. and such like. You that have been such like, God may have as much glory in your pardon, as he hath had dishonour by your sin: only be not such a Devil to thyself, as to turn thy back upon it, and when thou hast thus long rebelled, to tell God, he must stay thy leisure for thy acceptance of his pardon, thy sins are too sweet to leave as yet; I tell thee, soul, and I have showed it, that God's pardons cost him dear, and are precious; and if thou deal thus, they may be locked up in Heaven from thy wretched soul to all eternity. Who, but a desperate wretch, but would take mercy and grace from Heaven, that may make him blessed for ever, when God offers it, by his dear Son, let thy sins be never so great? why, wretched man, or woman, Hast thou not done God wrong enough already,! but must thou stay yet longer in thy cursed sin, and wrong him yet more? Hast not done enough already to damn a thousand souls, but wouldst do more, and make as sure of hell as thou canst? I beseech thee, sinner, great sinner, young or old, do not put me off, nay, do not put the Lord off, with a pardon in his hand, a promise of grace ready to be sealed by the Holyghost; if thou wilt now, from thy soul, readily say, why then, be it so, Lord Jesus I come to thee; If the terms be leaving all this deceitful sin, and to be made like unto thee, be it so, I accept of it, tear my lusts from my heart, I have served them long enough, too long; Oh now, if there be any mercy in Heaven let me have it, save me, (not in,) but from my sins; Oh Lord, for they are great, great indeed; I will, saith the Lord, and he speaks it in Ezek. 36.29. I will save you from all your uncleanesses; 'tis as much as if the Lord should have now spoken it from Heaven: mark every tittle in such a promise! Now thou criest, Oh, will, will the Lord save? I will, saith the Lord; Oh but, will he save me from such uncleannesses, yea, from uncleannesses; what from All? yea, from All thy uncleannesses; fall down and Adore, and cry out, Oh grace, free, rich, infinite, glorious grace; admire Angels, Saints, sinners, Behold one of God's wonders, A great sinner saved.  
Use 7. And so seventhly, it may serve to exhort blessed souls brought into a state of peace and pardon, still to keep an eye upon the greatness of mercy; If mercy were not great, how could any sin be forgiven? Thus this blessed man David, is breathing forth, Blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven, Oh bless the Lord, Oh my soul, who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Oh how great is thy mercy towards me, and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell: So should pardoned, called, redeemed souls see themselves called and taken out of hell itself: out of a hell of abominations, pollutions, wrath, under which they were fast held by the powers of darkness. Say, did ever such a soul get to Heaven? shall I not be the wonder of Heaven and hell, how I got to Heaven, and escaped that wrath in which thousands that were better than I are now plunged? there's no other reason but because mercy is great, greater than the greatness of sin; with which I shall conclude the second Point, namely, When sinners come on to find pardon, they see their sins great.  
Obs. 3. The great reason of Gods pardoning a sinner; and the plea that a poor convinced sinner hath with God, is, that he will pardon for his own Names sake.  
For thy Names sake, Oh Lord, pardon etc.  
That is, not for any worth that is in a poor creature, not for my sake, but for thy own glories sake, thy mercy's sake; grace and mercy will be hereby glorified. God gets himself a Name by the pardoning of a poor sinner, that Name which he proclaims to Moses, Exod. 34.6.— The Lord merciful, and gracious, etc. Now, God hath given forth the ground of this plea in the New Covenant, where his Name is thus made most glorious. And when He had given forth a brief and blessed draught of the tenor of the New Covenant, Ezek. 36.21. etc. The Lord gives out this as the great reason, often mentioned, why he would take such a way of making another Covenant, where in he wills all, undertakes all, does all, works all, as resolved it should be a Covenant, and a way of grace that should surely hold: he gives out this, I say, as the ground of all, I had pity for mine own holy Name, ver. 21. Thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes, but for mine holy Names sake, ver. 22. I will sanctify my great Name, ver. 23. And when the Lord had showed what he would do for the poor Jews in special, and so for all sinners taken into Covenant with him, that he would sprinkle clean water upon them, cleanse them from their sins give them a new heart, put his Spirit upon them, writ his Laws in their hearts, and so take them to be his people, he again concludes with the same ground as before, that all this was still for his own Name, ver. 32. Not for your sakes do I do this, be it known unto you, etc. And yet, that he would as certainly and fully do it, as if all the engagements from man in the world had been upon him, as undoubtedly make good every part and article of the Covenant, he adds, ver. 36. I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it; you may safely abide by it; Neither should his grace and power come hardly from him (as poor doubting souls surmise) as if 'twere as much as ever the Lord could do, to give out mercy and grace to poor sinners; but, saith the blessed God, in another place upon the same account, having given out the promises of grace in the New Covenant, Jer. 32.37. and so on, He subjoins,— I will do it with my whole heart, and my whole soul; mark it, poor souls, with my whole soul, will I pardon you, love you, never turn away from you to do you good, and never suffer you to turn away from me. If poor weak souls (for whose sake I put it) should here ask, What is this Covenant, what do you mean by it? I have at large opened this to you; only, a word here. God at first; when he made man, agreed with man to be his God, to give him life for ever; upon these terms, that man would keep the Law that God gave him, which God also writ in his heart, and 'twas a Law that would have given all glory to the Creator, preserved the creature in a holy and blessed order, and been a blessing to the whole Creation; but man transgressing here, the blessed God, from his own good pleasure, for his Names sake, gives out another Agreement, or Covenant, provides in it terms of reconciliation, for the first breach of the first Covenant, sends his eternal blessed Son Jesus Christ, to be a Mediator of this new agreement, gives him Commission to offer it to all, and that freely; and to let the World know, that if any sinner in the world, never so great, come and put up his plea, make his claim, enter his claim, accept of this Covenant and new agreement with God, accept of the terms of it, give up himself mutually to God back again; then will God be his God, and that upon better terms then before with Adam, pardon, own, love, bless, unite to himself, never suffer him to fall, mercy built upon an unmoveable foundation, The foundation of God standeth sure, 2 Tim. 2.19.  
This briefly is the meaning of the New Covenant, upon which all our mercy is built; now from first to last, from the first to the top stone of it, from Election to Glory, all is done and made good for the Lords own glorious Names sake. Souls elected, the Covenant transacted between God and Christ, Jesus Christ sent, the sinner called, forgiven, justified, sanctified, adopted, kept, glorified, All for his Names sake; See the promises running thus, in most places, Esay 43.25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions. Why? for my own sake; Purge away our sins for thy Names sake. Psa. 79.9. This is the bottom of all.  
Now, because the further clearing of this blessed truth is my design, through grace, in the next discourse; I shall speak but a word more by way of use only.  
Use 1. If it be thus, that what ever God gives out to poor souls, is for his own Names sake, that this is the plea a poor sinner hath; let it then be for your information and instruction, that you have no other plea to be heard in Heaven but this, (the plea of Jesus Christ being upon the same bottom) Don't make a sorry pile of carnal duties and works, and say for the sake of these, Lord do me good, and pardon where I have failed; the Lord may send fire from Heaven to consume thee and them, because of their pollution, and that 'tis a cursed offering, but never hear thee, and bless thee upon such a plea; No, no, say in thy soul, and that from full conviction, If ever I have any thing from God on this side hell, it must be for his own Names sake; I expect, I plead, I wait, upon no other ground.  
Use 2. If the Lord's Names sake be the only plea for grace, then let poor sinners drawing near to God by Jesus Christ be persuaded that 'tis a good plea, and most acceptable before the Lord. Now this is the way of the heart of poor creatures, from rooted self-love & pride; we think, if God could give out good unto us for our sakes it were something; if there were any thing to be beheld in us that were commendable to the Lord, I could go with some confidence; but seeing 'tis thus, that I am nothing else but vile before him, how can I go to him? with what face? or, how can he give out unto me? Sinner; be as low as thou wilt or canst; but reason not so with thyself. If God can as freely, as fully do thee good, all good, for his own Names sake, and hath thereby the more glory by it; Why shouldst thou so stand upon thy terms with God, and not be as willing, as contented, to accept of mercy, all mercy, for Gods own Names sake, as well as for thy sake? 'Tis thy pride, be it known unto thee sinner, as humble as thou thinkest thou art, and not thy lowliness; know, for thy comfort, God can more readily, easily, do thy soul good, upon the terms he now is, for his own sake; and so the thing be done, thy soul pardoned, blessed, saved, and all shall end in everlasting love upon thee, let the Lord have all the glory, though thou hast nothing to boast of for thy own sake. And yet also know, that when the Lord saith, he doth it for his own sake, he doth not exclude that he hath no respect and love unto thee; but that the great and highest motive with God was, and is, his own Name, his own glorious grace, why he ever had a thought of good to an undone creature; that there was no motive in the creature, unless misery, which is no glory; but all is done, given, estated upon souls, undone, poor sinners freely, for his own sake.  
3. Let it exhort souls to make use of this plea, therefore, and that with great, though humble confidence; It never failed poor souls since the world was, that made use of it: when they were low and helpless, and eyed and pleaded mercy for mercy's sake, they had it, and never went away but blessed.    

Gospel-Justification. The Second TREATISE: WHEREIN The Souls emptying of all its own righteousness is further evinced, and Gospel-justification stated, how a poor sinner is made partaker of it, and the evidences thereof laid down.  
ROM. 3.19, 20. 
Now we know that what things soever the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  
Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, etc.  
HAving spoken as the Lord hath helped me, as to the weight of the pardon of sin, and the praevious way to it; I now come to open the completing this mercy in a poor souls complete justification, before God. So it hath pleased the Wisdom of God to order the way of his glorious mercy to poor sinners that shall be saved, that he doth not only let forth free grace for the remission of their sins, & merely pardon them, but hath so blessedly ordered the matter, to bring them in a state of Righteousness, a complete & perfect righteousness as Adam in his perfect estate was in, not by making the sinner perfectly holy & righteous in himself, in his own nature; but by giving out his eternal Son Jesus Christ, to fulfil all righteousness in their stead, by satisfying & keeping the perfect Law of righteousness, which is imputed to the Believer, as if he had fulfilled it, & were wholly righteous in his own person; In which lies the great mystery of the Gospel. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, saith Paul, etc. for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, etc. Rom. 1.16. namely, that righteousness of Jesus Christ whereby God will justify, put in a state of righteousness, made over to them by faith that shall be pardoned and saved.  
To endeavour to evince and discover the necessity of such a justification, and the nature of it, and how a poor soul comes to be invested in it, to have a right unto it, is my design, as the Lord shall graciously assist, in this ensuing discourse. Oh that I might do it in the simplicity of the Gospel, plainly, convincingly, spiritually, as I ought to speak.  
In the prosecuting hereof, I shall first show that righteousness is not to be attained any other way, not by the exactest keeping of the Law, so as to commend us to God; not by setting ourselves to keep the Law of God as well as we can, and so we hope God will accept of it; which being naturally rooted in the hearts of all, I find it the hardest piece of conviction, and most hardly received of any other; souls are a thousand times more easily beaten off gross sins, then beaten off the confidence of the good they think they do, and so come as ☞ Nothing else but sinners to Jesus Christ; want of this conviction makes all the Hypocrites in the world. This is that part therefore I shall first begin with, according to the Apostles method in this Epistle.  
The Apostle lays down his doctrine, which he was to prove in the 17. verse of the 1 Chapter, The just shall live by faith; to make way for which, he first proves in the remaining part of the first Chap. that the Gentiles knowledge of God, which they had by the things that are made, The Creation of, and Providence of God over the world, left them in unrighteousness because they held the truth, of the being of a God, in unrighteousness, even the wisest and learnedst of them, such as professed themselves to be wise, verse 22. and broke forth into Idolatry and all abominations, for which cause God gave them up, etc. verse 26.28. At the 17th. verse of the 2d. Chap. The Apostle undertakes the Jew, strikes off all his privileges, and at the 9th. verse of the 3d. Chapter, concludes both Jew and Gentile, in the same condition, as to the obtaining of such a righteousness by the Law, that might commend either to God;— What then? Are we (who are Jews) better than they? (who are Gentiles). No, in no wise, for we have proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one; Which he further proves by several Scriptures to the words of the text.  
In which the Apostle prevents an objection, namely, that some might urge, The Scriptures urged may concern some few and grossly wicked persons, and not all mankind in general; No such matter; whatever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, which are, all the Sons and daughters of Adam, as in their natural corrupt estate, All under the law, from whence the Apostle inserrs, (1.) That therefore every mouth is stopped, (2.) All the world is guilty before God. (3.) That no flesh, within or without the Church, can be justified by the Law. From whence I draw these 4 plain observations to prove what is my main design, viz. That no man can attain to such a measure of righteousness by all that ever he can do, in his best keeping the Law, as may commend him to God; which 4 are these.  
1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their natural estate are under the Law.  
2. That a transgressor of the Law, hath nothing to boast in, nor to excuse himself from his sin, or the righteous judgement of God due unto him. [That every mouth may be stopped.]  
3. Every soul in the world is under guilt and condemnation: [that all the world may be guilty before God.]  
4. Every soul lies under an impossibility of reaching to such a Justification, by the best keeping of the Law, as for God thereby to accept of him.  
I intent briefness in the opening of these, and what plainness also the Lord shall help me with; This is a principle rooted in the hearts of all the Children of men: That still there is a sufficiency in them to keep the law of God in such a measure as God will accept them for it; This being heightened, by the ignorance of times, and darkness of gospel-light, and of the New-Covenant of grace, upon the spirits of this Generation, they are most hardly beaten off it; say poor souls, If I keep God's law as well as I can, and worship God, and do not harm my Neighbour, God will accept me, and pardon where I fail; but to be convinced that all that keeping of the law is made void by one sin, and so see an absolute necessity of righteousness, another way and out of themselves by jesus Christ, though it be preached by many good men, yet few, very few, in this Generation live in the practical sense and sight of it; yea how many professors (not hereby to reproach any) have confessed to the Glory of God, and their own abasement, that since the breaking forth of a fuller light of the nature of the New-Covenant, Gospel-grace, the righteousness of Christ, they have been shaken in their bottoms, being legal, and thought if they took up from their sins, and had a kind of sorrow for them, and then set themselves to obey the law strictly, be close in the sabbath, and some such duties, that God would accept them, being still ignorant, as least practically, that when they were convinced of sin, they were to see where to have a righteousness, and how to get into Christ, and have life and strength in and from him for their new obedience; which is that I drive at in this, and my afterwards discourse in opening the New-Creature, as in Christ.  
Having premised this I come to speak to the first promise laid down, namely,  
Observe. 1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their natural estate are under the Law.  
By the Law, I do not mean the Mosaical or old Testament way of worship; but by the law, I understand that which we style the moral law, the law of the 10 Commandments, that was written in Adam's heart, and afterwards given out by God unto Moses at Mount Sinai; and promised in the New Covenant to be written again in the hearts of all that are really called into the grace of the Covenant, Ezek. 36.27.  
To be under the Law, is an expression familiar to you, you know what it is to live under a law: To be under this law of God, then bespeaks these things.  
1. To be under it, is to be bound over to the exact fulfilling it: see Rom. 10.15. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law, that the man which doth these things shall live by them; that is it, to be bound over to the fulfilling and doing of the law, which if done exactly, without the least deviation, there is life promised to it: But upon the least transgression of it, to be liable to the penalty which God hath pronounced against the transgressors of it.  
2. It follows thence, that to be under the Law, is to be bound over to the whole Law, in its full and perfect latitude, as it reacheth the whole man. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the Law to do them: Mark well the tenor of these words. Here is required of Every one an exact doing (not only purposing and thinking to do); and that not only of some or the most of the law, but in all things, and that not only for a time, but a Continuance of doing so: or else under the curse: One sinful thought hath a curse belonging to it, as well as the breach of the whole law, if under the law. Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law, 1 John 3.4.  
3. To be under the law, is to be subject to, and to be under, all the curses, threaten, judgements, wrath, that it threatneth to the transgressors of it, here and for ever: Whatsoever the law saith, in point also of judgement and wrath, it saith to all that are under it.  
4. To be under it, is to be bound to make God satisfaction in our own persons for the breach of it, I mean while under it, every soul is so obliged to make satisfaction, to the justice of God: If a poor soul be in his natural estate, and so under the law; he must stand or fall to the law, God expects personal satisfaction from every soul that sinneth against it, that will stand to his keeping the law, in whole or in part, and God in his justice can bate nothing of what he hath spoken.  
Now, That all men and women are by nature, as of and in the first Adam, thus under the law, to wit, to be bound up to it, and to have life only upon the exact and perfect fulfilling of it, to be bound up to the whole law, subject to the curse of it, upon the transgression of one part, bound to make God satisfaction, in his own person for any breach thereof, I briefly prove.  
Saith Paul, Rom. 6.14. Ye are not under the law, but under grace; Implying, till a soul is brought under grace, the Covenant of grace, justifying & sanctifying grace in and by Jesus Christ, he is under the law, whoever he be; so Gal. 4.5.— To redeem them that were under the law, etc. implying also that all mankind are naturally under it, till under the power and efficacy and privilege of Christ's Redemption.  
The main reasons of it are,  
All are under this law, because all mankind were bound up under the same Covenant with Adam, who was a public person representing all mankind, as a man may bind up himself and his posterity to such and such conditions; and, such a Covenant, decree, or obligation binds his posterity in Law: so was Adam bound up to God; see Rom. 5.12. the special Scriptures that prove this truth; Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; so verse 16.17, 18, 19 by one that sinned, etc. by one man's offence death reigned by one; by the offence of one, judgement came upon all men to condemnation: By one man's disobedience, many were made sinners: Implying clearly, that the guilt of Adam, as representing all his posterity, was and is imputed to all; and therefore all were, and are bound over to the same Law; bottomed upon that word of the Lord to Adam, by which God put the Covenant upon him, Gen. 2.17. For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Adam had the law of holiness and righteousness, the moral law, written in his heart before, and his nature perfect, which bond him over to obey every command of his God; now God gave out that external law, unto him by way of trial, in which the form of the Covenant was employed; but sinning against that, he transgressed the moral law, written in his heart also, which bond him over to obey God in all things: so that the sin of Adam was (at least virtually) a transgression of the moral law, now abiding and obliging mankind; which law we all brake in him, as it was given to all in him, and being written in Adam's heart, it was as much as if it had been actually written in the hearts of all mankind: which doth also appear by the remnants of the law, (as that there is a God, and man should be just,) yet remaining in the hearts of all: Therefore by nature we are all bound up to, and are under, this law.  
2. It doth appear that all do sin and transgress this law of God, therefore they are under the penalty and condemnation of it: this argument the Apostle brings to prove the same thing, verse 9 of this 3d. of the Rom.— For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin: and verse 12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one; therefore seeing all do sin, they are bound to answer the law, (as you use to phrase it,) and are subject to whatsoever the law pronounceth against the transgressors of it.  
3. All the partial keeping of the law, will not deliver a soul from that penalty that belongs to the breach of the whole: keep me all or none, as to your deliverance from the curse, saith the law. But this I am further to prove, when I speak to the next verse, The impossibility of a sinners being accepted by his best keeping of the law.  
Use 1. Are all men and women in the world, young and old, naturally under the law, bound over to the most exact and rigorous fulfilling of it, under a curse, and are indeed under all the curses and threatenings it pronounceth, and bound to make God satisfaction in your own persons, while you are under it; oh let every poor sinner be convinced of it, what a state is this for any poor soul to rest itself satisfied in? who is the man or woman that is not a transgressor of it? and therefore, see to it, and that before the execution of judgement come upon thee without remedy. Sinner, If thou wast condemned by the law, and under a sentence of death, how wouldst thou beg for a reprieve? and beg all thy friends to interpose for thee; what an amazing word would it be to thee? Thou art condemned to die. Ah sinner, 'tis the case of thy precious soul, Thou art condemned to eternal death, by the law of God, the sentence is pronounced from the righteous Judge of Heaven; Away sinner, with all speed to a Mercy seat, Acknowledge thy condemnation just by the law, Go to the great and potent Advocate of heaven, Jesus Christ the righteous, put thy case into his hand, tell him thou hast none else to make to, and that thou hast heard, he hath helped many a condemned sinner, in the same case as thou art, and that thou hast heard he hath laid down a price for such as thou art to redeem them from the curse of the Law: follow him, and if he speak but a word to the just and great God for thee, the sentence of the Law is remitted, a pardon of grace comes forth, and at last the Holy Ghost shall be sent from the father, and the Son to witness it, and seal it in thy own conscience; and that blessed word shall be thine, Therefore there is now, No condemnation, etc. who shall condemn me, since Jesus Christ hath cleared me? and hath made the Court of Heaven for me? Go and ponder in thy soul every day; and say, Is't nothing to be under a Curse? condemned by a Law to be damned for ever? shall I let my poor soul lie in such a case one hour longer, specially when a way I hear is opened to me to get from under it? Say what satisfaction can I wretched creature, make to the righteous God? None, but by suffering what infinite justice will lay upon me, which is no less than infinite punishment. Oh get in upon thy conscience, what it is to be condemned by the great God, to lie under guilt, to have no plea or excuse by the law left thee; which I will labour to prove to thy conscience, and then further urge thee, which is the import of the next point.  
Observe. 2. A transgressor of the law, as he hath nothing to boast in, so he hath nothing to excuse himself for his sin, or from the righteous judgement of God due unto him; which is drawn from these words.— That every mouth may be stopped, etc.  
This the Apostle intimates, Rom. 2.1. Therefore thou art inexcusable, o man, etc. speaking to the Jew, who went about to free himself. And the judgement of God is according to truth against them which do such things, verse 2.  
Reason 1. A poor sinner hath nothing to excuse himself for sinning against the law of God, because the law is good and righteous, Rom. 7.12. Therefore the law is holy, and the Commandment holy, just, and good, saith Paul, when he was under such a conviction of sinning against it as we are pressing; So, 1 Tim. 1.8. But we know that the Law is good, etc. 'tis a law that contains glory to the Creator, and all good and blessedness, (as in its self,) to the creature, A law that's full of all wisdom, and blessedness, takes care for the good, blessing, peace, order of the whole Creation, that man might not sin against his maker, nor, in the least, harm (nor think to do so) his fellow creature, so that its proper end is goodness, preservation to all; Now what excuse for a creature, most concerned in the good of it, for sinning against such a law? what hath a creature to say for himself? how inexcusable is he before God, Angels, and men?  
2. God writ this holy and blessed law in the heart of Adam, as he was a public person, whereby he, and in him all mankind, had power to keep it, therefore the sinner hath no excuse before God; He gave man a power, though he did not lay a necessity upon his will, but left him to the liberty of it, but man corrupted himself, Gen. 6.12. whereby he disabled himself from keeping the law: Now if a man disable himself, it can be no rational excuse for neglecting the duty, so that his mouth is stopped as to any plea or excuse before the Lord.  
3. Though man had blurred and defaced the fair and original Copy of this holy and good law written in his heart, yet God gave it forth again by Moses in Legible Characters, one end wherefore was to leave all mankind without excuse; thereof this strikes off all plea for the sinner, specially to such to whom it is revealed.  
4. There is a remnant of this law yet in the heart of Adam, which though not sufficient to enable him to an exact performance of it, yet enough to leave him without excuse; so Paul, Rom. 2.15. to prove this point we are now upon, speaking of the Gentiles.— Which show the works of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another. There is enough of the law remaining in every man's heart to accuse him, when he doth evil; and excuse him so far as he doth right, though man by habitual sinning, doth much stifle it; so that this also helps to aggravate his sin, and to leave him without all plea or excuse.  
5. There is that to be known of God, in the creatures, that may and doth leave a sinner without all excuse for sinning against him; this the Apostle argues as to this very purpose; Rom. 1.20. For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead, so that they are without excuse, etc. The creatures could not say, we will make ourselves thus and thus, and subsist in such an order and harmony; therefore there was one first Infinite being who made all things, and by the same power doth uphold them, to which first Being, all the creatures must owe their homage and conformity; Now though such a glimmering of light can never suffice to lead a soul to the true worshipping of God, as the Apostle there argues; yet it leaves the creature without excuse, which is that I am proving from it.  
6. All the Children of men do sin presumtuously, wilfully, and obstinately against the Law of God: man's sin being not so much from his weakness to obey the law, (though weak he is) but from the rebellion of his will against God and his law; As it is in the case of disobeying the call of the Gospel also; Now whatsoever a man doth presumptuously & wilfully, it leaves him without all excuse; And this is it that is charged upon the Children of men, by the holy Ghost in the word, that their sin was obstinate rebellion against the great God;  
From all these the truth of the assertion doth appear that every transgressor of the law is without all excuse before God.  
7. As the creature hath no excuse for his sin, so it follows he hath no pretence against the righteous judgement of God; we are sure the judgement of God is according to truth, Rom. 2.2. and Chap. 3.4. That thou mayst be justified in thy say, and clear when thou art judged; that is, what ever any sinner may dispute to the contrary, God is righteous when he judgeth; If the Law be just and holy and good, once written in his heart, and had a power to have kept it, that God hath given out this law again to him, the remnants of it in his heart, so much to be known of God in the creatures, and that he sins presumptuously and wilfully against God, and so blessed a law, made for his own good, certainly must every sinner conclude, The Lord is righteous when he judgeth, and every mouth must be stopped.  
Use 1. If it be so that no sinner in the world hath any justifiable excuse for his sin, then let this truth come in into your consciences, and strike off all vain pretences, and wretched excuses when you have sinned against the Lord; which usually are such as these; when sinners break forth into this or that rebellious way, they cry, Oh 'tis my nature, my natural disposition; and then they think, that excuseth or allayeth the matter, whereas it aggravates, for we ourselves corrupted our natures. Saith another, I have been so accustomed to such a way, to drink to excess, sometimes to swear, to use the Lords name vainly, and as a byword; whereas the custom of sinning is the greatest and most grievious aggravation of it. Saith another, 'tis my company that draws me or the example of others, or 'tis my temptation, when they are under the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience; Or, that they do keep the law as well as they can, and think this will excuse: whereas nothing, no plea that ever a sinful deceitful heart put up, or that the Devil suggests, can before God excuse any sinner in the world, rich or poor, knowing or ignorant, from the exact and perfect keeping of the law, (if they are yet under the law) but upon one transgression of it, the law doth most justly condemn and curse them;  
Nothing is more natural to fallen man, under sin, then when having sinned to devise an excuse, and thinks and surmiseth, that because such an excuse will be taken by his own blinded conscience, therefore God will also accept of it, & so, flatters himself in his own eyes, till his iniquity be found to be hateful, Psal. 36.2. Thus Adam as assoon as he had sinned, he thought how to excuse the matter, puts it off to the woman, and the woman to the devil, which trade sinners have well learned, and have driven it on ever since to their own damnation; Observe this, If every sinner, yet under the law, and the power of sin, had not some vain pretence and excuse to ensilence conscience, and foolishly thinks to insinuate unto God, he, or she, must needs fall down before the Lord, see all their pretences and coverts to be damnable flatteryes, and soul-cheating, and so Judge themselves, and pronounce God most righteous, if he damn them for ever;  
Oh therefore, sinners, Away with all your pretences, no more excusing, but judging, and go to the great God, and fall down at his feet, crying out, oh I am a transgressor, the law condemns me, no excuse will be taken, my mouth is now stopped; what ever God do with me, he is most holy and righteous. If I were going to Hell I must justify God; and cannot say unto him, why dost thou thus? Thus 'tis with a poor soul, when the Lord by his word and spirit opens sin, reveals the law, lays it in upon the conscience, discovers the holiness and exactness of his justice, that the law shows no mercy, but cries out for fulfilling, or pronounceth absolute condemnation, than I say, a sinner cries out, Oh I am cast by the Law, I am gone by the Law, All my pleas are found too light, All my endeavour to keep it, is worth nothing, if guilty in the least, while I am under the law. I must find out a righteousness else where, another way, or condemnation, just condemnation is my portion for ever; Here's the first stroke of a convinced sinner, when God is outing him from himself, and all his coverts or excuses, and brings him naked to put on the righteousness of his Son Jesus Christ, freely held out in the gospel; which is the work in hand.  
2. If no excuse can be heard or taken, for the transgression of the law, for but one breach of it, but every mouth is stopped; how much less will any excuse be taken, for withstanding the gospel of grace by Jesus Christ, saith our blessed lord If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin, (that is, not so great sin and condemnation) but now they have no cloak, (nor excuse) for their sin; If a righteous law, leave all the world without excuse, much more a gospel that offers free grace, and pardon, and righteousness, by Jesus Christ to any sinner, condemned by the law, that will come in, as so condemned, and accept of the free gift of righteousness by him.  
But that I may yet a little further labour to bring in the sense of guilt upon the soul, I shall prove every soul, guilty before God of the transgression of the law, and show what the sense of guilt is, which few there are that have, in a saving way.  
Observe. 3. Every soul in the world is guilty before God of the transgression of the Law.— And all the world may become guilty before God.  
This hath been proved where we have showed that All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.  
This guilt is threefold, which is set home upon every sinner's heart, when convinced of sin by the spirit.  
1. The guilt of Adam's sin which stands charged upon every sinner in the world, while under the law, Rom. 5.18.  
2. The guilt of the corruption of our natures, sin in the fountain as I have showed, which is likewise upon every Son or Daughter of Adam, they are all corrupt, Psal. 14.1. wherein lies the exceeding sinfulfulnesse of sin.  
3. The guilt of actual rebellion against God, sin brought forth, and acted in the outward man against God.  
Now under this threefold guilt is every sinner in the world, while under the law, the effect of which, if not reconciled, is punishment suitable to the guilt; which is,— Thou shall surely die, And, The wages of sin is death, eternal death, Rom. 6. last.  
Use 1. This may therefore inform and convince that every sin brings guilt upon the soul, and so deserves death and everlasting wrath from God; you that make light of sin, to lie, to profane the name of the Lord, be in worldly discourses on the Lord's day, in any way of sin whatsoever, weigh this in thy conscience, There's not the least sin but makes thee guilty before the tribunal of God; God, the law, Angels, Conscience, are all witnesses against thee; where's the soul that will think to avoid this charge? shall I prove every soul of you guilty, and that before God? If this were proved by the power of the word in the conscience, I know what, (and I shall show it you), will be the effect of it; lay your consciences to the Word, and if thou art found guilty before the Lord this day, go home with the sense of it upon thy soul, and do as a guilty sinner should do.  
1. Consider first, as to what concerns God, immediately; The Law requires; Thou shouldst have no other Gods but him, Exod. 20. Which Jesus Christ interprets, is, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul; now, Hath God had thy whole heart and soul, darest thou say so? Hath not the world had more of thy heart then God? Dost not thou love the world, and the things of it? Do not thy affections, thoughts, desires of thy heart even day and night go after it? yea, you cannot but grant, that 'tis so? Then God and Angels are witness, that thou art guilty of the damnable sin of Idolatry. And such a one, shall not, as such, enter into the kingdom of God, Eph. 5.5. Know by that Scripture, A covetous heart may send thee to Hell, as well as any sin in the world;— No Covetous man, who is an Idolater, shall enter into the kingdom of God: read over the place every day, and tremble at it; Here's guilt already enough to damn thee.  
2. Thou hast worshipped God superstitiously and idolatrously, after the traditions and commandments of men: you that are elderly people are all guilty here, in a grievous manner in the time of your ignorance, when superstitious Ceremonies were practised, and the Common-prayer-Book worship was upheld, when you polluted the Ordinances of Jesus Christ, coming to Sacraments with sins upon your souls, from which sins you are not converted and changed to this day, which the Apostle calls eating and drinking damnation, or judgement; under which guilt you still lie, and would heap up more of this guilt, were not some more tender of your souls then yourselves? Here's guilt to purpose, who is free from it? and how many unhumbled under it to this day? Art thou not now ready to cry out, Oh hold, hold, you need go no further, my conscience is smitten, oh, guilt, great guilt lies upon me? Oh that 'twere the cry of many souls before the Lord, how might it end in mercy that shall be for ever!  
3. But yet further to pursue thy conscience, (for that's the nature of guilt) doth not the Lord require in his law, that thou shouldst not take his Name in vain, Exod. 20.7. Now sinner, stave off this guilt, if thou canst; How oft hast thou abused and profaned this great and dreadful Name, the Lord thy God; by swearing, or, in thy bywords, crying, oh Lord, oh God, for God's sake, for Christ's sake, upon every foolish vain occasion, with no more reverence of his Name, than the most Common name in the world; And some of you have as many days as you have lived since your childhood been frequently guilty of this great evil; which thou hast made a small matter of, which if ever God pardon it, it will appear to be odious guilt, from the height of thy heart-Atheism. How oft hast thou heard the word, and thy heart been after the world, and thine eyes gazing up and down, that 'tis easy to discern thou regardest not what is spoken from God to thee; and the same in prayer, how oft hast thou babbled o'er the Lord's prayer like a charm, with no reverence of God's Majesty upon thy soul; in thy bed, it may be, in a drowsy manner, or if otherwise not understanding the words thou speakest, much less thy heart affected with them, or it may be saying over the Creed, and the Commandments, or some Service-book prayers, as abundance do, grievously profaning God's Name, and offering lip labour, which his soul abhorreth; yea know what hath been often proved, that thy prayers, and all thy worship, and good deeds, (as thou callest them) are an abomination to the Lord, while thou art in thy sin, an unconverted and unholy person; yea the way of thy worship, in which thou placest thy greatest confidence, hath been the highest aggravation of thy sin, in offering up to God that which his soul hateth; Esay 1.11, 12, 13, 14, 15.— When you make many prayers (saith the Lord) I will not hear you, etc.  
And as to the sanctifying the Sabbath, which thou shouldest make a holy rest unto God, thou hast made it a mere fleshly rest, consuming the day upon thy lusts, in vanity, idleness, carnal and worldly discourses in families, in the streets, to the high dishonour of the Name of God, and hardening of thy heart against the truths of God, rendering thereby the preaching of the Gospel, wholly unprofitable to thy soul; A carriage far unlike a man that hath the grace of God upon him, and a most invincible argument to thy conscience, that thou makest not God, his word, ordinances, sabbaths, a holy delight, and knowest not the excellency and sweetness of Communion with him; Say, sinner, and lay thy conscience to this conviction, is hearing and that with love, praying, praising, meditating, conferring of holy things, the very heaven of thy soul, and so longest for such exercises, as the joy and strength of thy heart? Nothing less! Thy own conscience being Judge; but hear drowsily and negligently, it may be despisingly; revile the preacher, speak evil of the word, out of thy gross ignorance, and hatred to be reform, speak vainly, carnally, worldly, with such as are like thyself. Here's guilt enough to send thee to a thousand Hells, if God smite not thy heart for it, and thou turn not unto him for pardon and a better heart to be given to thee.  
Add to all this, an unthankful and unholy use of God's good Creatures; it may be thou hast been betrayed by the devil, & thy own ready heart to some secret sins, which thou thinkest enough if thou canst hid from man, not considering the judgement of God that hangs over thee. But if not so, yet a heart full of uncleanness, envy, wrath, malice; which our Lord Jesus Christ, in his opening the law in its spirituality, Mat. 5.21.22, 27, 28. convinceth to be murder and adultery, which, it may be, thou hast never considered of, so thou hast not been an actual adulterer, or murderer; In a word, There's not a vain thought in thy heart, the first rising of it, but brings thee under the guilt of condemnation of the law, and as thou art under the law, as if a transgressor in thought, word, and deed, of the whole Law; This may seem strange to thee, but see it proved. James 2.10. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point is guilty of all.  
But it hath been proved that thou art guilty, of the breach of every Commandment of God, from thy youth up;  
But see further, sinner, (that some word of God or other may hit thee) this law could not condemn thee, wouldst thou have been convinced of guilt, and made in to grace by Jesus Christ, but thou art under the guilt of Gospel Contempt; Come sinner, saith Jesus Christ, and see what I can and will do for thee, I'll save thee from this condemning Law, I'll take away the curse, I'll remove all thy guilt, blot out all the charge, that is against thee, I'll put a righteousness upon thee, I'll bestow my spirit upon thee, I'll give thee a heart to love God and his law, and in the inward man to delight to walk in it, and then take thee to Heaven, and fill thee with glory for ever. All this Heaven of mercy and free grace, thou hast slighted, and sinned against, and brought thyself under greater condemnation, than by the law; And yet, by the way, Jesus Christ will do as much for thee still as I have spoken of and more: though thou hast thus sinned against law and gospel, if thou wilt come a poor undone guilty soul unto him, which is that I aim at in thus pressing upon thee; And were the sense of guilt indeed upon thy soul, thou wouldst seriously hearken to me.  
Therefore yet further bear with me, Take home this guilt to thy conscience, And say, Oh guilty, guilty, of all that hath been this day charged from the righteous God upon me; Oh may the Lord find thee out this day, and lay-in the fresh sense of the guilt of sins, even of such thou hast long since committed; Do not justify nor excuse thyself any longer; for that's the natural way of thy heart, as thou hast been showed. Never did guilty prisoner at the bar find more shifts, more subtle pleas, than the proud and shameless heart of a sinner will do, till God himself pronounce guilt in the conscience, and then the guilt of one sin laid-in, brings in the guilt of all other, and they sometimes come in like waves and billows upon thy soul; oh let the sense of thy lying, swearing, profaning the Sabbath, slighting the word, refusing Jesus Christ out of thy secret hatred of holiness, reproaching the people of God, because in their practice they condemn thee, or thy being guilty of the blood of the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. 11.27. (a crying sin indeed,) Oh let this, any, all, seize upon thee, and fly not from it, but go and lie low before the great God in it, judging, charging, condemning thyself, and say; God and his word hath found me out this day, and I go home with an arrow of God in my conscience, I am the man or woman, that am found the guiltyest soul in the Congregation; how to be delivered and saved from it, that's my business now. Blessed be the advice and counsel now, (which formerly I despised) of any good man that speaks in the name of the Lord unto me, and will show me, There is yet hope for so wretched a Creature as I am;  
Particularly, these are the effects of the sense of the guilt of sin, wrought by the holy Ghost upon the conscience of a poor soul, in order to his salvation.  
1. Fear of wrath to come, more or less, possesseth the heart; Can a man be guilty and not fear, if truly sensible of it? This was upon Adam, after he had sinned, and heard God's voice, which struck him with sense of guilt, Gen. 3.10. I heard thy voice and was afraid; so when guilt came upon Belshazzar, his thoughts troubled him, Dan. 5.6. Felix trembled, Acts 24.25. The Jailor came trembling, Acts 16.29. The fear of wrath, the fear of a miscarrying soul, the fear of eternity, seizeth upon the spirit of a poor creature; and then 'tis an infinite weighty matter with a poor soul to be saved.  
2. Shame is another effect of guilt brought in upon the conscience: so Adam likewise was ashamed and hid himself, because he was naked, Gen. 3. What fruit had you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed; Rom. 6.21. So Ezek. 16. last. That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord; See also, Ezek. 43.10, 11. Oh how is a sensibly guilty soul ashamed before God, Angels, & men, of such ways and carriages, in which he impudently before delighted himself? and lies down in his shame and confusion of face, even covering his face before God, and ashamed to look up unto him.  
3. The soul walks up and down with a burdened spirit, those creature-comforts, delights, contentments which before would still the spirit, now will not; sense of guilt eats out the heart of them, the soul must now have something else than wind and vanity, (for so are Creatures become to such a poor soul): It may be the deceitful heart carries a poor creature to this thing and that, but finds no satisfaction there, the burden stills remains, the arrow that God hath shot sticks fast, till Jesus Christ pluck it forth, and heals all with his blood and spirit.  
4. Guilty souls, make out for deliverance, sue to heaven, are enquiring how the law may be satisfied, how guilt may be removed, how atonement may be had, how bondage taken off; in a word how he may come to see the face of a blessed God, reconciled in Jesus Christ, and so love him and bless him to eternity.  
Why now, careless sinner, Is't not better be thus then be hardening for Hell? and have the guilt of sin as nothing to thee, till the books shall be opened, all thy sins written in Letters of blood against thee, Conscience accused, charged, and witnessing against thee, and so away shrieking to Hell without all remedy, and canst not be heard a word for thyself, nor any one, Saint, or Angel for thee; Now thou mayest be heard, if thou wilt speedily acknowledge thy guilt, not cover thy transgression, nor hid thy iniquity in thy bosom, Job 31.33. but come with fear, and shame, burdened with thy guilt, to him whose arms are yet open to receive thee, and is ready to take away thy iniquity off thee, and take off thy burdens, put his hand under thy soul: and if thou wouldst know who it is, 'tis that blessed Jesus who loves to save such a sinner as he loves his life; therefore away to him.  
But the heart of a guilty sinner will now urge, Well if it be so, that some guilt is upon me, yet I have done many things well, or as well as I could, will not that take off my guilt, and will not God impute the good to me, and pass by the evil? Or will not God accept of the will for the deed? Or if I set myself for the time to come, to keep the law as well as I can, will not that make God amends? Alas poor soul, these refuges will undo thee, if thou get not out of them, No, No; Thy good shall not be imputed, nor thy will accepted, nor thy obedience for time to come satisfy; I mean, still as thou art under the law. As well as thou canst, will not he heard here; If thou indeed gets justified in Christ, and rooted in him, and so from a new principle of life in thy soul, thou bring forth new and holy obedience, than thy will is accepted, and thy new obedience, but not upon this account, as to justify thee before God; or as to expiate and take off guilt from the soul.  
This therefore is the next thing I am to prove to thy Conscience, if God will, Namely,  
Observe. 4. No man or woman under heaven, can ever arrive at such a keeping of the law, as to be accepted with God, for and by such a keeping of it.  
I would press this as plainly as I may, for till this conviction be thoroughly and practically received into the conscience, a soul cannot make a saving close with Jesus Christ;  
What I mean by these deeds of the Law, is, I presume, understood; I mean, The professed owning the true God, and frequenting his ordained worship, and ordinances, observing the Sabbath, making good prayers, doing some good, as to helping thy neighbour and giving of Alms, making conscience of wronging or defrauding any man, and refraining many gross sins; I mention these things, because most men that go thus fare, as your more civil sort of people, think that is it impossible, but God must accept them in and for all this; that 'tis for great sinners to be damned, they thank God they are not so; By the way, soul, I shall not doubt to prove, that there's more hope of the vilest drunkard in the Country, then of such a one; and that this thy good keeping of the law, and that as well as thou canst, will stand thee in no steed, at all; and God looks upon thee no more for it, then if thou wert the greatest sinner in the world; How sayest thou, soul, to this?  
1. From clear Scriptures I shall demonstrate it, and scriptural reasons, and examples of such kind of persons rejected of God, and so labour to drive this nail home upon thy conscience.  
What need we go further than the words of my Text; By the deeds of the law, shall no flesh be justified in his sight? The Apostle speaks of such who professed to own and make Conscience of keeping the law, as well as they could, such as were within (as you call it) the pale of the Church, and frequented the worship of God, and were sober people: see Act. 13.39.— From which (meaning their sins) they could not be justified by the law of Moses; They could not! an utter impossibility of it, though they kept the law of God, as well as they were able, and hoped for pardon thereby, yet saith Paul (which exceedingly troubled them) they could not be justified thereby; Rom. 9.31. But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness; Though they followed after it, and laboured to keep the Law of God to their utmost, yet they failed of their purpose, Gal. 3.10, 11. etc. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse; that is, such as insist upon works of the law, they are so far from being the more accepted for all the good they did, & all the evil they refrained, that they were under the curse, as well as any sinners in the world besides.  
Briefly, Paul, who well knew the experience of this, it having been his own case, as I shall show, spends two Epistles, of the Romans and Galathians to convince chief what I am now upon; therefore peruse them over and over.  
Now the Reasons of it are these, namely, why any sinner's keeping of the Law to his best power, cannot justify him, or make him the better, or at all accepted with God for it.  
This doctrine goes to the quick, and I know naturally you do not love it, and 'tis irksome, and disquieting; the Lord make it disquieting and unsettling to purpose.  
Reason 1. The best keeping of the law cannot make a soul more accepted with God, (while under the law, & not in Christ) because of the holiness of God's Justice, which being violated by sin, (it being also proved that All do sin) cannot again be made up by any act of the Creature, the severity of his justice cannot admit of it, therefore if the Law be transgressed, the sinner must die, as he is under the law, and stands to the law, or God is not righteous, which to assert were exercrable blasphemy. And if your thoughts should prevent me, with a general notion of mercy, know, and consider it well, that the law shows no mercy, but calls for justice, and justice it shall have upon every trangressour whosoever, if he stand to his endeavour to keep the Law; The soul that sinneth, it shall die. From whence, by the law, I say, by the law, there's no appeal: what you may do when you renounce the Law, for righteousness, and fly wholly to a mercy-seat is another case. This the first reason.  
2. The best keeping of the law will not be accepted, because of the exactness of the Law, it requires full, entire, perfect fulfilling and obedience, or all stands for nothing; If this were throughly weighed and laid to heart, we should come to an issue in the point. Mark that word, Gal. 3.12. Cursed is every one, that continueth not in all things which are written in the law to do them; I think I opened this place lately, but mark it well; The law requires of every one, and therefore of thee, who ever thou art, a continuance, (without intermission) of doing (not only purposing and endeavouring) All things, not keeping nine, and breaking one Commandment; not keeping it outwardly, and breaking it in thy thoughts of sin, but in All things, or Cursed, without remedy, by the law; The law can give you no remedy, see Rom. 10.5. For Moses describeth the righteousness of the law; The man that doth these things shall live by them; If he doth all the things of the law, not purposeth them only, but doth them, he shall live by them, but not otherwise, but shall die, and that for ever, by the law; now mark you, The same law can't at once justify and condemn, bless and curse, quit and judge, save and condemn, if it therefore condemn in the least, it cannot quit by all that ever a soul hath done, or may do, towards fulfilling it. I instanced before; If a man that lives under the law of England, all the laws of it, and he be found a transgressor of one law, that is to be punished with death; it will not be a good plea for him, that he never broke any other law that deserves death: no, saith the Judge, you must die for this; so as I have showed, the law pronounceth death to the breach of any one Commandment, any part of one, as well as to the breach of the whole. Therefore he that pleads, as the Pharisee did, (and was never the more accepted,) that he is no murderer, no blasphemer, no thief, no adulterer; 'tis all one, if thou hast ever had an unholy thought in thy heart, (as thou hast had thousands), as thou art under the law, thou art condemned; If this indeed had been the tenor of the law, as it was a Covenant, between God and the first Adam, that if thou and thy posterity shall endeavour to keep the law as well as you can, though you fail in some part, yet you shall be accepted; then this had been a good plea before God, that you have so endeavoured to keep it; but 'tis not so, the Covenant doth not run so, but as hath been showed it runs thus. Here's a holy and righteous law, saith God, the matter of the Covenant between us, If you break it in any one lest part of it, and but once, you are condemned, and all your other righteousness shall not be imputed to you. This saith been proved from several Scriptures; and I think 'tis the hardest thing in the world to be spiritually and practically convinced of it; such is the exactness of the Law, that it admits of no bartering, of no terms whatsoever; it still cries, fulfil me to the utmost, or die.  
3. The third Reason, which strikes off all hope of acceptance with God, by keeping the Law as well as you can, is taken from the sinfulness of those very duties and works which you place such acceptance in; There is an infinite sinfulness in every such duty, though the matter of the duty be good, yet the manner of performing it by any natural man is wholly sinful, yea there's a mixture of sin in the most holy performances of any regenerate soul in the world, which he is sensible of; but I am dealing with the natural man, as to his opinion of his good keeping the law, I say there's nothing but sin in their performances, the principle they proceed from is wholly sinful, viz. a corrupted, polluted heart and nature; Can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit? Mat. 7.18. Can a corrupt fountain send forth sweet waters? Jam. 3.11. No more can a corrupt defiled heart bring forth any duty or work, but what is loathsome to God, full of all impurity; This a natural man is not able to see, nor consider of, till convinced by the holy Ghost, and therefore 'tis, that he rests only in performing the matter and bulk of duties to God and his neighbour; but with what heart, and the unholiness of it, he weights not. Upon this account it is, that the Scriptures speak at such a rate of natural men, that they are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 15.8. that his soul hates them, he cannot away with them, they are iniquity, they are a trouble to him, isaiah 1. And that he casts them back, as dung upon their faces, Mal. 2.3. Therefore if there be more than sin enough, in that best keeping of the Law, towards God or man to damn a soul for ever; Certainly a soul shall be never the better, nor at all accepted for such a keeping of it. That which in itself hath sin, nothing but sin in the manner of it, cannot be a means to quit a soul from other sin, by which he hath brought guilt upon himself; Let this be well considered, and (Nothing but a Christ) would be your cry to purpose indeed.  
4. The fourth reason or convincement of this truth, that the best endeavour to keep the law, will not give you more acceptance with God, nor take away any guilt from off the soul, is, because, such duties, and keeping the Law, are but of the outward man, which is fare from reaching the Compass of the law: the law is spiritual, Rom. 7.14. that is, it reacheth to the inward parts, to the motions of the heart, as hath been before hinted, and not only to the outward man; therefore our blessed Lord, seeing the Jews insisting so much that they were outwardly blameless, spends a large discourse, Mat. 5.6, & 7. to beat them off their confidence, in being outwardly righteous, and proves a man a murderer by the Law, for one wrathful thought in his heart, Mat. 5.21, 22. Upon this conviction you have him, as oft as he spoke to the Jews, (that we may see the weight of this doctrine): see Luke 16.19, 15. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him, And he said unto them, ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God; Jesus Christ was convincing the wickedness of a covetous heart, the Jews, who were carnal and formal, made a sleight matter of this, seeing they were outwardly blameless, and wronged no body; Ay but, saith Christ, God knoweth your hearts, and his eye is most upon them, and though you are outwardly righteous before men, and this is a matter highly esteemed of among men: that you are righteous and blameless, yet 'tis an abomination to God; see how severe the Lord is in pressing of this, (it being the great let of his Ministry, and of the Jews stumbling at the Gospel, as it is with us) Mat. 23. his last Sermon I conceive he preached to them, verse 25. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites, for ye make clean the out side of the cup and platter, but with they are full of extortion and excess; so, with the same woe pronounced, verse 27. Ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness; verse 28. Even so also ye outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of Hypocrisy and iniquity. Mark the Lords words, within ye are thus, and thus, As if the Lord should say, God regards not what you are outwardly, and your observing the law with the outward man; seeing you have abundance of all iniquity within, which every unregenerate soul in the world hath; so you may see that an outward keeping of the law, stands for nothing in the account of God, whatever it do with men and yourselves; which you hear Jesus Christ gives forth, as the mark of an Hypocrite; Now you have heard, the law requires inward as well as outward perfection, perfect holiness within, as well as righteousness in the outward man; I verily believe, want of this conviction upon the soul, sends more souls to Hell, than any other thing in the world besides; how confident are poor Creatures if they are a little conscientious in dealing, and sober, and blameless to men? this you may be, and be no better than devils (as in yourselves) in God's account, and thy best Character, from Jesus Christ, Mat. 23.26. is a Blind Pharisee. Every place, I fear, abounds with them: therefore this inveterate cursed plea of being outwardly blameless in keeping the Law, will not in the least tender you more accepted with God, but 'tis at the best but painted Hypocrisy: And yet, wretched souls that you are, none so well persuaded of themselves as these. This the fourth reason.  
5. All the best keeping of the Law, doth not, cannot, make satisfaction to God for one sin of thy soul, therefore 'tis worth nothing; God's Justice is wronged, and if the sinner be remitted, God must be satisfied by the sinner himself, or by another. Now all the obedience of a sinner cannot make satisfaction to God in the least, If he had the whole world to offer up to God, it could not satisfy him for the the wrong of one sin; see that known place, Micah 6.6, 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with Calves of a year old? will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oil? shall I give my first borne for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Implying that there is nothing that a poor sinner of himself can offer up to God, to make atonement or satisfaction to God for the least sin of his soul; should he offer up thousands of prayers, rivers of tears, whole ages spent in services to God, take up to a severe new obedience, if you should so take up to a new course as never to sinne more all your days, it would not make God satisfaction or atonement for one evil thought of thy soul; Now observe this, (for if thou art not rightly convinced of this thing, thou art lost for ever) 'tis naturally upon every man and woman's heart, that hath sinned to imagine that when they have sinned, they can put off God, as to his displeasure, with something or other, they will reckon what good they have done, gone to Church, (as you style it) given Alms, been just to men, or some such thing; and the poor blind Creature imagines and pleaseth himself in it that this good thus done will well enough pacify God for his sins, or at least he will go over some prayers & be strict for a little while, and then they doubt not but God (because also he presently smites not with judgement) is well enough apayed, and he need no more trouble himself. Is not this the very way of your hearts, hath not the word found you out?)  
Object. But you will say; why, cannot these duties and this obedience satisfy and pacify God well enough for sin?  
Answ. 1. Because there is sin mixed in them, they come from a profane heart, as is showed in the last reason, (though thou ignorantly, because thou knowest not thy heart, call'st it a good heart): now that which is in itself sinful, cannot sure satisfy for sin.  
2. Because of the infiniteness of God's justice, as well as purity of it; A finite creature cannot offer up a proportionable atonement to an infinite God. Suppose a poor man were under the guilt of treason & condemned to die, and he should go & offer up a little course broken bread to the Prince, would any one think that this would satisfy the Prince for his treason? So, poor deceived creature, thou art guilty of treason and rebellion against the great and most high God, and thou comest and offerest up to him, thy poor polluted broken obedience, and duties, and thinkest he will be satified with this; whereas God may in the same moment justly send thee to Hell for the iniquity of them; A poor sinful soul thinks that because such do and services do satisfy himself, his own conscience, therefore he thinks they will satisfy God also; because they quiet him upon any trouble for guilt, he thinks they will also quiet God, and take off his anger and justice from punishing him: poor creature, this thy way is thy folly, and the ready way to come under the severe justice of the Almighty, who will not thus be dealt with, nor be thus bribed with thy cursed sacrifices; This is a further convincement of the point; All the creature can do, cannot pacify God for one sin, and therefore all his best keeping of the law cannot justify a poor sinner before God, nor give him acceptance in the least with him; till he sees pacification another way, and takes up obedience from another principle and to another end, as we are to show.  
6. All a man's endeavour in setting himself to keep the law to the utmost, cannot give him acceptance with God, because it cannot give life to the soul; Gal. 3.21. For if there had been a law, which would have given life, verily righteousness had come by the law; Man hath procured death and weakness upon his soul, and the law cannot give life, nor strength to obey it. All that righteousness which leavs the soul dead, comes to nothing: while a soul is under the law, and upon the fulfilling of it, (as he hopes in a good measure,) still the soul is as dead as sin left it, and void of the life of God: true, A poor soul thinks himself alive by his legal performances, as Paul thought, Rom. 7.9. but he is dead in sin, and under the sentence of death by the Law, and all the performances towards the keeping of it, can never give a drop of life to such a poor soul: they are dead works, and there's no life in them or from them: therefore they stand no soul in stead; while under the law, as under it he is, while he goes upon this account.  
7. The main reason of all, which is now but to be touched, is this: If a soul endeavouring to keep the law of God as well as he can, may be accepted of God thereby, what need Jesus Christ to have died: 'tis Paul's great argument, Rom. 8.3, 4. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous- of the law might be fulfilled in us, etc. Mark ye, what the law could not do, that it could not give us a righteousness whereby God might accept us, therefore God sent his son in the flesh, and condemned sin upon him, which otherwise had been condemned upon the sinner himself: Another place to this purpose is, Gal. 2. last, I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, than Christ is dead in vain. If there were a possibility of a Creatures attaining to such a degree of keeping the law as well as he can, that might render him accepted with God, and procure pardon wherein he failed, than the dying of Jesus Christ was in vain, to no purpose at all. Take heed you that are outwardly righteous, that you do not frustrate the grace of God, and the death of Jesus Christ for ever to your own souls, by thinking you endeavour to keep God's law, as well as you can, and make some conscience of it, and there fix your hope wholly, or in part, and so be undone for ever. Another place in the same Epistle, Gal. 4.4, 5. speaks out the same truth. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made under the law; To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons. What need Jesus Christ to have died, to redeem the elect from under the law, if they had been able to reach forth to such a keeping of it, that God might be well pleased with, and with them in it?  
Now Jesus Christ's being made under the law, implies these things, which I now but hint forth.  
1. His being under the punishment of the law, which was due to such as were under it; what ever the law pronounced to the transgressors of it, Jesus Christ in effect did undergo it; See Gal. 3. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the law, being made a curse for us; If good prayers, making a conscience in dealing, outward sobriety, harming no body, giving of Alms to poor people, could have taken away the curse; did the wise and blessed God do well in giving out his Son to be made a curse? were prayers, righteousness, good deeds, made a Curse? They will be indeed, in another sense, if thou thinkest to be accepted by them.  
2. Jesus Christ being made under the Law, was to satisfy Gods offending justice for the breach of the Law, for such as shall be saved; to make atonement for God, Rom. 5.11. If now all that thou hast done, or shalt ever do, could make the least satisfaction or atonement to God, in thy good keeping the Commandments as well as thou canst, (as hath been showed) God might have kept his Son in Heaven, and not sent him to make atonement for any sinners.  
3. To reconcile sinners unto God; Rom. 5.10. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, etc. If reconciliation to God can be had no other way, but by the death of Jesus Christ, will thy good endeavours for the time to come to keep the Law of God, as well as thou canst, and take up from a lose course, will those, I say, reconcile thee to God? See, poor creature, how little need thou thinkest thou hast of Jesus Christ, and what a mere notion a Saviour is to thee, when it comes to the trial!  
4. Jesus Christ died to purchase righteousness, for all that shall be saved; Now if thou couldst come up to such a degree of being righteous, by thy fair and good carriage, as thou thinkest, to God and man, this purchase of Jesus Christ was to little purpose, Rom. 10.4. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth.  
Now see, mistaken soul, how thy hope to please God well enough, and make him amends for thy sin, by thy good endeavours to serve him in his law as well as thou mayst, makes void the whole design of God, in the glorious gift of his eternal Son, (as much as in thee lieth); and robs him of the glory of his grace; and makes thy salvation (if it might be had in such a way) not of grace, but of debt, Rom. 4.4. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of debt but of grace; And thus thou, in effect, becomest thy own Saviour.  
Yet bear with me a little further, (because a sinner can never be too thoroughly convinced of this matter) let me show you some examples in the Scriptures, of such that thought as you do, and as all men naturally do, that they by their honest and conscionable endeavour to worship God, and harm no body, they should be saved; and yet were found light in the balance.  
The first is that Pharisee, Luke 18.11. He thanks God, he was not as other men are, Extortioners, Unjust, Aduterers, etc. Here was hope for his acceptance with God, He was not so bad as others, as many riotous profane persons were, not unjust in his deal, no Adulterer, And should any one question his Salvation, and going to Heaven? Enough for great sinners to miss of Heaven, and not such as he was, reputed a good and honest man in his Country and amongst his neighbours, well thought of by most. And yet for all this confidence and security, a great sinner was accepted before him, and he not justified in the sight of God, though he was in his own sight, and the sight of others. See another; Mat. 19.20. (which place hath been at large opened to you), There came a young man, a man of parts, a Ruler, with the same confidence to reason with Jesus Christ about his condition, The man conceived he wanted nothing that a man should have or do for Heaven; All these things, saith he, I have kept from my youth up, meaning specially the second Table of the Law, which Christ gave out, not as thereby to put him upon the law, but to find him out, and discover him under the law. When jesus Christ searcheth the man's heart, and finds him under the power of the love of the world, as a reigning soul-damning sin, (for all his outward blamelessness), and so to discover his heart to himself, puts him upon trial of self-denial; Away the man packs as mute as a fish, and would hear no more, (as worldlings now) of such doctrine; unless he could be a disciple and part with nothing, lose or venture nothing, he would rest as he was, and hope his being an honest sober man, and well thought of, would bring him to Heaven; and so, for aught appears, cheated his soul to Hell.  
The case of Paul hath been often showed you; he was, as many of you think yourselves, blameless, Phil. 3.6. lived in no known sin, outwardly against the law, frequented the public worship, made conscience of his deal, was zealous of the traditions and customs of his Fathers in the matters of God, and yet do you not hear him crying out of it all as loss, verse 7. & 8. He thought it was his gain before, that it would have gained him Heaven, but now 'tis all loss, his keeping the Church, his outward blamelessenesse, stands him not in the least stead, but cries out; 'tis All, All, loss for Jesus Christ; the same Paul that before boasted, and thought very well of himself, and was in much peace, and persecuted all beyond his formal profession, now cries out, Away with this fig-leave righteousness of mine own, 'tis as dung, I tread it under my feet for jesus Christ; he that thought himself so blameless before, now cries out, I am the Chief of sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. And I am carnal, sold under sin, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? A marvellous Change indeed, and such that is made upon every soul, that is really brought off from the righteousness of the law to that which is of jesus Christ.  
Now to bring what hath been spoken to this point, to a more particular Application.  
Use 1. If it be so, that the best endeavour of any mortal creature, to keep the law of God as well as they can, will not give them acceptance with God; Then you that have so imagined, and thereby spoken peace to yourselves, namely, that you hope if you keep the Church (as you use to speak) and harm no body, and do any body any good you can, live not in gross sins, be well thought of by your neighbours, you shall do well enough for Heaven, and you must hope well. Ah poor creature, thou errest, not knowing the way of the Lord, nor of thy own heart; how art thou befooling thyself and deceiving thy own soul. No sinner in so ready a way to Hell as thou, if thou continue thus, and let not go thy hold, and get a new bottom for thy naked soul, which I am to show thee.  
Consider, man or woman, young or old, whoever thou art, thou hast been proved guilty of the breach of the whole law of God, thou hast been showed of the exactness of the justice of God, and the spirituality of the law, how it reacheth the inmost motions of thy heart, thou hast been showed the tenor of it, as it was given forth as a Covenant; that the law will not admit of the least breach, though but in thought, but it condemns as if the whole law were transgressed, even every soul that is under it; here is the rigour of it; And thou hast been showed that the law admits not of endeavours, nor of the will for the deed, (if thou wert once in Christ indeed, it would be so, but not as now thou art) thou hast been showed that there's sin enough in every one of thy best performances to damn thee for ever; that, thy righteousness reacheth but the outward man; within (didst thou see it) thou art full of iniquity, that what ever thou hast done, cannot make God the least satisfaction (as thou flatterest thyself) for the least sin; All thy obedience and duties cannot give life to thy soul, but still leave thee as a dead tree, dead in thy sin, that by this vain confidence thou dost utterly make void the death of Jesus Christ, as to any virtue or effect to thy own soul; soul, here is thy very case plainly set forth; A thousand thousand sins to damn thee, and that righteousness, obedience, good, thou hopest thou hast done towards God and man, not in the least able to rescue thee, cover thee, deliver thee from the guilt of one of the least of these sins; nor save thee from wrath to come, but leave thy soul as sinful, guilty, naked, wretched, condemned, as if thou hadst been nothing else but sinning all thy days; Oh wretched condition, that the devil and thy own heart have flattered thee in!  
Oh let this serve to convince, unbottome, legal professors, who have spoken peace to themselves in being as good as they can, and obeying the law as well as they can, & so hope God pardons where they fail; Oh, you are ignorant of the righteousness of God, Rom. 10.3. Either what righteousness God requires in the law, as to be justified by it; or what is the righteousness of the Gospel, which is of Jesus Christ by faith.  
Oh you, who like that young man, have been righteous from your youth up, brought up religiously, look to this, whether you make not this your confidence, but (though under some kind of sorrowings for sin, and walking exactly) yet never emptied of yourselves, and renouncing yourselves, and all that was of you, and come poor and nothing to Jesus Christ, to be found in Him; who have not trembled as much at being found in your own righteousness, which is of the Law, as at living in the greatest sin whatsoever:  
You who have taken up from grosser sins of your life, your youth, and now think you are safe, and bottom your hope upon your new outward obedience, but have not the experience of your closing with Jesus Christ for righteousness, in which alone you could stand before God, nor rooted into Jesus Christ in the carrying on of your new obedience, (which I am also further to open): Alas poor soul, thou art yet to seek for a bottom, for thy peace and for heaven, as much as the greatest sinner in the world, and if you go no further, you will certainly perish for ever.  
I beseech you, souls, Admit of this conviction into your consciences; Saith the first Covenant of the law, A whole law kept, or nothing; Saith the Gospel-Covenant, which you are now to look after, A whole Christ closed with, or nothing;  
Mind it most seriously, you that stand upon your terms, and will not endure any thing that may shake you and disturb your peace; There's more danger of your righteousness, than your sin; your sin, it maybe you would sin leave, because it may damn you, if continued in, but your righteousness, your confidence in it, you would not leave, because you hope that shall save you, and pacify God for you; and this will be your ruin, if you stick here.  
But first to strike off some Objections, that the heart of such a legal professor doth put forth.  
Object. 1. But you will object, Why do I speak thus? would I beat people off a good conversation? Is not a blameblesse conversation, and honest walking a good sign, and ground for ones hope for heaven?  
Answ. I answer, Not such a conversation as you mean; The formal Jews, which Christ preached to, were outwardly righteous, and yet 'twas not a safe ground of hope unto them, as you have been showed; A good conversation that witnesseth a hope for heaven, must be, first of a soul that doth utterly renounce it, as to commend him to God, that when he looks up to God for his acceptance, his justification, he looks upon himself, as nothing else but a sinner in that respect, which, poor soul, thou dost not, (2.) A good conversation, that witnesseth a hope of Heaven, is also a holy conversation, 1 Pet. 1.15. To be inwardly holy, as well as outwardly righteous. Now thy care lieth mostly about thy outward blamelesness, and not thy inward holiness therefore thy conversation, which thou callest good, is not a ground of hope to thee, (3.) Or if thou dost pretend to a little outward holiness, and thinkest thou hast a good heart, yet thou dost not walk in Christ, because thou hast not, as a poor self-emptyed sinner, received him, Col. 2.6. Now thou must first be rooted in Christ, verse 7. before thou canst walk in Christ, that is, fetch all thy life and power for any spiritual duty, or thy walking before God, from jesus Christ, by virtue of union with him, John 15.5. the experience of which, thou art ignorant of; (4.) 'tis to walk in the spirit, Gal. 5.16. And thou hast not the spirit of God dwelling in thee, quickening, renewing, mortifying, etc. which every gracious pardoned soul hath. In a word, A good conversation is a Gospel-conversation, grounded upon Gospel-principles, and for Gospel-ends; now thou goest no further, but lookest upon the law, as to be obeyed as well as thou canst, and in thy own endeavours, and thy own strength, from some conviction of the law, thou setst about it, and so hopest, God and Christ will save thee; Is it not so with thee?  
Object 2. But would you then have me do nothing, leave off to do well? If you say my good keeping of the law as well as I can, doth neither justify me before God, nor is so much as an evidence of Gods accepting me, to what purpose then is it, how ought I then to do it; or may I not leave it off?  
Answ. I answer, Truly, soul, I must needs deal plainly with thee, 'tis to no purpose as yet, if this be thy condition, that thou hast done any thing, as to the saving of thy own soul; And yet thou must not leave off, as if thou mightest live as thou list; No, Thou must begin a new, (as thou wilt be further more at large directed); first, see all thy former do, either towards God or man, to be loss because thou hast done them by mere natural or legal principles, and wrong ends, and so it stands for nothing. And then fall down before jesus Christ, Oh 'tis thy righteousness now Lord, I come for; 'tis thy spirit, I must have to quicken and strengthen me in the way of my obedience; And so pray and hear, upon other grounds, to be taught of God, to receive the Spirit, to have Communion with God, but not thereby in the least to be accepted. But this I shall open further, when I show why and how a soul must obey God: though he be not thereby justified. So this Objection is removed.  
Object. 3. But, you will say, I hope I do not rest upon my own do, no more than others, I think no body doth so: will you show me whether the heart is apt to do so?  
Answ. I will, and shall discover to you that the heart of man is most naturally apt to rest upon an outward keeping of the law, and to build a hope and confidence for heaven upon it; this I must a little insist on as much conducing to help on the conviction, I am pressing; if the Lord by his power strike in with it.  
If it were not natural, (nothing more) for a soul to bottom upon its keeping the Law, though fallen and unable to do it, the Apostle would never have spent time in the Conviction of it, which he so industriously doth in this and the former Chap. It hath been the great evil upon the hearts of the Sons of men, in all ages of the Church: One of the first Sons of Adam was under it, Cain, when he rested upon the bare sacrifice; 'tis that the Prophets of God are reproving, convincing the Church of the Jews of, more than of any one thing whatsoever; See isaiah 1. throughout; Esay 66. Jer. 7. Ezek. 33.31. The Prophecy of Hosea, in the main bend of it, is to convince the formality of the Jews, and their false confidence in resting in their heartless do and performances.  
In this case jesus Christ finds the Jewish Church in, at his first coming in resting in some heartless performances in God's worship, and outward righteousness towards men, which he sharply rebuketh, and convineth them of the vanity of it, Mat. 5.6, 7, 9, 13, 15, 18, 21, 23, 25. Chapters of Matthew, with which you may compare the other Evangelists, and see how much ado the Lord Jesus had to beat them off from this confidence, and how few of them were beaten off it: and Paul witnesseth that upon this very ground, they were rejected of jesus Christ, Rom. 9.32. Not upon the account of gross outward sin, but for their being conceited of their good condition for heaven, because of their frequenting public worship, and being blameless in the sight of men; yea, from this natural principle (joined with the delusion of the tempter) did the Church of God degenerate into the Synagogue of Satan, as Antichrist risen in the world, first trusting in the performance of their worship and works, which brought in pennances and such kind of Sacrilege against jesus Christ, and all other tromperies, to build fallen man upon his own bottom, and to devise a way of satisfaction to God wherein they failed; to which the hearts of men are most naturally carried, which made that doctrine so easily and generally overrun the world. Against which accursed doctrine, that famous witness of jesus Christ, Luther began his main battery; And though the doctrine of justification by jesus Christ be known to the protestant world; yet practically to be brought over to it, by an union with jesus Christ, is but, (we may fear) thinly known or understood, yea not only by the common spirits of England, that rest in a notion of being Protestants, but even amongst many who have professed something beyond it, as I before have hinted; yea the Lord jesus Christ professeth to expect to find multitudes of professors at his coming under this soul-damning snare, of being found in themselves, and in their own righteousness, and not in jesus Christ, Mat. 7. & Mat. 25. etc. By all which it may amply appear how easy, how natural a thing it is for the hearts of the Children of men, to bottom their confidence in what they do towards God and man, in their obedience of the law, as to place their acceptance in it.  
Add to this the reasons of it, why the hearts of all the sons and daughters of Adam, are naturally apt to rest upon the law, and their own do, and to hope for peace by it.  
1. Every natural man, hath something of the remains of the law, which God at first wrote in the heart of our common Father Adam, Rom. 2.14, 15. which being a little drawn forth by the Letter of the Law, it makes a poor creature set himself to endeavour to keep the law, and hopes to attain to such a degree as to be accepted with God for it; Now there is no such thing as any remote profession in the heart to come to Christ, or to have righteousness in another; therefore, a soul sets himself to the law, and endeavours, more or less, the keeping of it, naturally.  
2. Man would feign make up the breach he hath made with God, upon his own account; As a man had naturally rather do a thing himself, then be beholding to another; therefore upon conviction of guilt he sets himself to make up the breach, to satisfy God by some atonement or other, that his own heart can contrive; his sorrowing and repenting he hopes may pacify God, or some new sacrifice of more performances, or being better for the time to come: thus the heart works secretly, and upon his own account; God letting forth some mercy (as he thinks) where he fails, he hopes to make up any breach that sin hath made between God and his soul; and thus he is still upon the Old Covenant, under the law.  
3. A sinner is more apt to keep to the law, then go to Christ, from a secret pride of heart; he would not be found at a total loss with God, to be wholly undone, and unable to do any thing towards his own peace, and salvation; A soul naturally had rather part withal sin, and have his nature made perfectly holy, then be quite undone in himself, and come to have all his righteousness in another, in Jesus Christ. And here it is, that most souls stick in the coming off their own bottoms, to be justified in jesus Christ. In a word, man had rather do any thing then come a poor destitute sinner to Jesus Christ for all.  
4. Because 'tis not suitable to the light of natural reason, that a soul should satisfy God, or become righteous any other way, then by his own endeavour; To be righteous in another, is of divine Revelation, which till a soul hath, he cannot let go the principle of self-justification.  
The next thing to be considered will be this, If all men are under the law, and the curse of it, under the guilt of the whole law, without all excuse before God, under an impossibility of attaining righteousness or acceptance with God, by the best keeping of the law, and yet a natural and strong aptitude to rest upon the law, and that a soul may reform and take up, be strict in obedience, and yet still be under the law; how then may a soul know whether in the way of his obedience, he be yet under the law, and not under grace? Some Discoveries I shall lay down at present, reserving a fuller discussion of this.  
And by the way, know and consider, that though thou art under the profession of the Name of Jesus Christ, and pretendest salvation by him, yet practically and really thou mayest be still under the law.  
1. If thou hast never been convinced of this close evil in thy heart, of resting on thy praying, and repenting, and endeavouring to keep the law as well as thou canst, I say, if the spirit of the Lord hath not convinced thee of it, and of the great danger of it, and so humbled thee, and brought thee off it, thou art certainly under the law as yet.  
2. If thou dost not watch against this evil, and dost not find a great difficulty, not to rest upon a performance of any duty to God, thou dost then certainly rest upon it.  
3. If thou art well satisfied, that thou art kept from outward gross sins; and the sin of thy nature is not thy greatest burden, mourning under the weight of it, than thou must know that thou art yet under the law.  
4. If thou thinkest God will accept of the will for the deed, if thou dost as well as thou canst in every duty, so as to accept thee thereby, as if it had been done perfectly; this also bespeaks thee under the Law.  
5. If thou canst not experience, how the Lord by the light and working of his word and spirit hath brought thee off thy legal foundation thou wast building upon, and showed thee, that such things as thou didst account gain, became but loss unto thee, for Jesus Christ, Phil. 3.7.  
6. If thou art not troubled about the Hypocrisy of thy heart, and not abased for it, even in thy best performances; then thou art yet upon the bottom of the law, and restest in it.  
7. If thou art not mostly troubled about believing, and dost not find it the most difficult work of thy soul, If no complaint to God of an unbelieving heart, than thou art indeed a Hypocrite, and under the law.  
8. If thou art not humbled to God for the sinful mixtures of thy duties, the deadness, distraction, of them, and so seest thy acceptance cannot be in them, but in Jesus Christ, than thou restest in them.  
9 If thou dost not give up thyself to the leadings of the Spirit, and dost not find, that, in the main of thy course, thou art led by the Spirit, than thou art under the law, Gal. 3.18. But if ye are led by the spirit, ye are not under the law.  
10. If thou art not troubled about thy inward growth in mortification of all sin, and more holy Communion with God, than thou art also under the law; One under the law, that is somewhat strict and conscientious, may grow in the bulk of outward duties, but not in inward holiness.  
11. If thy care be not to live in the sense of thy justification by grace through Jesus Christ, and to preserve the light and peace of a justified state, which thou hast been called to by grace; then thou livest in self-justification.  
12. If thy great care be not, if thou findest it not thy greatest difficulty, to be kept a poor empty creature in thyself, and live in the fullness of Christ, If self-fulness, self-exaltation, be not the great evils thou watchest against, (at least in some measure, thou art sensible of the roots of them), than thou art yet under all I have been proving, the law, guilt, and a curse; and all thy duties and do, as I have showed, abhorred of God.  
Examine thy heart by these particulars over and over, and if by these thou canst not make out that thou hast been, through rich grace, brought off from thy own foundation upon the law, and so come, with much difficulty, to the Gospel-grace and righteousness by Jesus Christ, and that if thou hadst been let alone in peace in thy former state, thou hadst been certainly damned; sure thou art then as yet void of any interest in the Gospel saving righteousness; thy pretended faith, and hope, and duties, and works, and conscience, all's in vain.  
Now the soul that hath the blessed experience of all these, and can say, I have through infinite mercy been brought off my own foundation, & I have found the difficulty of it, I find my heart apt to settle upon my own performances, and 'tis that I would watch against; And I can experience the sin of my Nature the greatest burden, and cry out of it daily before the Lord; The Hypocrisy of my heart is an abhorring to men, I do find believing the hardest work of my soul, I do mourn under the sinful mixture of my duties, I do give up myself to the spirits leadings, I am troubled about my inward growth, and humbled for the shortness of it, I would learn more and more to live out of myself for my justification, and be kept a poor empty nothing for ever before the Lord; If this, I say, be thy experienc, than thou shalt have peace and joy in the holy Ghost; Thou mayst rejoice in a justified estate, Christ, his righteousness, grace, spirit, heaven are thine.  
Having now laid open the sinner, as under the law, excuseless, guilty and under condemnation, under an impossibility of obtaining righteousness and acceptance with God, by the best endeavours to keep the Law, I would now set upon the opening the gospel-righteousness, by Jesus Christ, through which only a poor condemned sinner can find acceptance; but that I conceive it first needful to speak a word to those words in the close of the 22. verse, (viz.) for there is no difference; which may further help on the conviction we have been upon.  
The jew might object to the Apostle thus; you by your doctrine seem to conclude all under the Law equally, and under guilt; you make no difference between us jews who have the Law, and endeavour to keep it, and the open profane Gentiles and sinners; In this, you do us wrong; No, saith the Apostle, There's no difference, you who in part keep the Law, are under the same condemnation as others; That which I shall lay down, will be this.  
Observe. There is no difference between the most profane person, and the righteous and sober, as to justification or condemnation by the law.  
I mean this; The just sober man, as to his keeping of the Law outwardly or in part, is in as damnable estate as the profanest wretch in the world; This will hardly go down, but 'tis most clear from the Apostle's words, readd unto you, and hath been in part proved, by showing all the Sons and Daughters of Adam, Jews and Gentiles, sober and ungodly, all; under the Law.  
But a little further to prosecute this doctrine; for, were a man or woman, who hath lived honestly and soberly in the eye of the world, (but yet out of Christ) convinced that he or she were in as bad and damnable a condition as any great sinner in the world, it might be a startling to them, and a means, through the Spirit's working, to bring them off their vain confidence, and to lead them to Christ.  
Now that I may clear this, let us first consider, what it was that might difference the sober Jew, from the profane Idolatrous Gentile; it being the same, which such, as conceive themselves sober harmless people in this day, do put confidence in.  
1. The Jew was Circumcised, which was the first Ordinance of the old Testament-Church, as Baptism is of the New, and to be administered to the seed of the Church: and it doth appear this was much insisted on by the Jew, by what the Apostle speaks, Rom. 2. verse 18.19. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God.  
2. They had the Scriptures of God, Rom. 3.2. Unto them were committed the Oracles of God; which indeed the Apostle calls an advantage, (in the same place), as it might be a means to lead them to the knowledge of God, and to the promise of jesus Christ, but no advantage at all, (as to the mere having them read and opened, and in a general faith, believing them) as the more to justify them in the sight of God.  
3. The jews were under the public service of God, such as was ordained by God himself, Rom. 9.4, 5.  
4. They were for the most part righteous to men and sober, and blameless in the outward man; Ye indeed are they which are righteous before men; as the Lord often speaks of them; Now 'tis most clear, that these things did not difference the jew, as to acceptation with God and jesus Christ, from the most profane sinner; for the Lord jesus Christ rejected these and called to himself Publicans and Harlots, and tells the jews that such should enter into the Kingdom of God before them, Math. 21.31. As might be further instanced in the case of the Pharisee and Publican, Luke 18.9.  
Now the Reasons of this point have been before hinted, namely, that a mere sober man under Christian privileges, is no more accepted with Christ, nor in any nearer capacity to come to Christ, than the greatest sinner; because one sin puts a man under the condemnation of the law, as well as a million of sins against it; one felony condemns a man as well as a thousand, and the malefactor must die, by the law, for it. All the good a man doth, will not be imputed to him, if he be found a transgressor in one part of the Law, Ezek. 18.24. All men come short of the glory of God, in the fulfilling of the Law, and he that falls short but in one mile is in as bad a case as he that falls short twenty miles; Jesus Christ accepts of no man for his righteousness but as a sinner, nothing else but a sinner; so that still the case of a just man, in reference to the Law, is as dangerous as the greatest sinner's in the world.  
Use. A little further to press this; you who are baptised, have a general belief of the Scriptures, are under part of the public service of God, are just and harmless as to men; but yet are under the power of unbelief and see it not, are not born again of the Spirit, are not in Christ Jesus: you who rest satisfied in such a condition, and think your hope for Heaven well-grounded, and will not be beaten off it, I must tell you, and 'tis proved unto your Consciences from the Word of the Lord, that there's no difference between you, and the vilest sinners in the Country, as to your acceptance with God: Though it be thus with you, yet, as you have been showed, you may be under the Law, condemned for one transgression: and what can you be more than be condemned? Neither doth all this, as in itself, any more prepare you for Jesus Christ: And therefore let all the Convictions, Arguments, Demonstrations we have produced from the clear Light of the Word of the Lord at last prevail with you, that you who thus satisfy yourselves, because you are baptised, believe the Scriptures, frequent the service of God, are just and sober, therefore it is well with you, and you will trouble yourselves no further in the matter of your salvation, that the estate of your souls is as unsafe and desperate, how secure soever, as the profoundest Drunkard in the Country.  
Therefore, let this Conviction have force upon your Conscience, that you must come anew to Jesus Christ as a mere sinner, having nothing to commend you to him.  
Say, from the Light of the Word, Though I have thus satisfied myself, pleased myself, in these Duties and outward Privileges; yet there's no difference between me and the vilest sinner, in order to my acceptance with Jesus Christ. Nay, if this Conviction take upon thee, thou wilt say to the glory of God, and thy own confusion; If there be any difference, 'tis, that thou art the greatest sinner, having mocked the Lord, rested in outside service, dealt hypocritically with the jealous God, offered him abominable sacrifice, and therefore fit to be abhorred of the Lord for ever: Oh! that this might be the posture of thy Soul! and so thou mayest come and lie prostrate at the feet of Jesus Christ, crying, Oh! no more, no more, a righteous person! but a sinner, a guilty sinner, a condemned sinner, a poor, blind, naked sinner; nothing else but a sinner! Away with all my former confidences; tear them from my heart Lord. Now Lord Jesus I cast myself upon thee; Oh! let me creep unto thy blessed feet! Oh! I come to thee: not because I am righteous, (for I would abhor myself for ever in the thought of it) but as a poor perishing sinner, the worst of sinners, an hypocritical sinner: Oh! that I could take hold of thy righteousness, to cover my naked Soul: I expect it only upon the account of thy Freegrace; Oh Lord I come unto thee, do not, do not, reject me.  
And thus have I been endeavouring to lay the sinner before Jesus Christ in such a posture; having proved him, under the Law, excuseless in his transgressing of it, guilty before God, under an impossibility of reaching to an acceptance with God, by the best keeping of the Law; laboured to beat him off such props and confidences, that the Heart naturally cleaves to, and stripped him of all, naked as Adam, when he had sinned before the Lord, as nothing else but a sinner, which is that I have driven at. I now come to speak of the way of a poor Souls justification, and acceptance with God, by Jesus Christ, as the Lord shall assist, to the capacity of the weakest.   
ROM. 3.24. 
Being justified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ:  
I Am now come to open the Gospel-righteousness, wherein a poor sinner finds acceptance with God; which in ver. 21. of this 3d of the Romans, is said to be now manifested; that is, more fully manifested by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, being witnessed (before) by the Law and the Prophets, Even the righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, ver. 22. called, the righteousness of God; namely, that, whereby God doth only justify and accept of a sinner, wrought forth by the obedience of Jesus Christ, and made over and imputed to a poor Soul that doth embrace it by Faith, whether Jew or Gentile, outwardly righteous or profane: all that ever come to God, must come this way, and stand before him in this righteousness, or perish for ever: which I shall begin to open from, ver. 24, 25.  
1. Being justified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ.  
2. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood, etc.  
We have endeavoured, in the former Discourse, to go along with the Apostle, in proving, that by all the Deeds of the Law, all the best Obedience that a sinner can reach unto, he cannot be justified before God, neither in part, nor in whole, that your good deeds will not procure pardon, nor poise down your sins, but all, by the Law, equally under condemnation.  
Of what importance then is it for poor condemned souls to be well acquainted with, and really and practically invested in that way of justification, that God in infinite wisdom, mercy, and love, hath set forth in the Gospel, which is that I now design.  
The Apostles arguing is thus: If all fall short of righteousness, and acceptance with God by their own obedience: If all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, then are all, and that equally, condemned: If so condemned, than acceptance with God, and justification, and remission of sins must come in another way: The Rise and Fountain of which, must necessarily be Gods free mercy and grace: If made righteous, it must be in the righteousness of another, wrought forth by another: Justice must be satisfied by another, a price paid to God for a sinner's redemption by another, which is, Jesus Christ, blessed for ever.  
From the words then, I shall first lay down this plain Observation, viz.  
Observe. God's free mercy and grace is the first Fountain of any sinner's salvation; or, 'Tis upon the account of ' Gods free grace, that any sinner is saved.  
Thus runs the current of the whole Gospel, the main design of the Gospel being to glorify the riches of Gods free grace by Jesus Christ: Among many other Scriptures, the Apostle doth most convincingly discourse in Rom. 5. from the 15th to the end: letting the free grace of God unto justification, in opposition to a sinner's condemnation: But not as the offence, so also is the free gift; for if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. To the same import, run the rest of the verses, The free gift of many unto justification; much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ: All of grace, and of free-gift, abundance of grace, from first to last: That as sin reigned unto death, so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord, vers. last. So the Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians wherein the Doctrine of grace is blessedly given forth, drives all the spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ, mentioned Chap. 1.3. etc. to this blessed Fountain, Chap. 2.4. etc. But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (for by grace ye are saved) so ver. 7. That in the Ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace; and ver. 8. For by grace ye are saved, it is the gift of God.  
Therefore the invitation of the Gospel to sinners runs upon this score: Ho, Every one that thirsteth, come to the Waters of Life, Isa. 55.1. And, Whosoever will, let him come to the Water of Life freely, Revel. 22.17.  
I might illustrate this in all the particulars of a sinner's salvation, God's fore-ordaining and choosing any to salvation, 'twas to the praise of the glory of his grace, Eph. 1.5, 6. The gift of his Eternal Son Jesus Christ, from free love and grace, John 3.16. The New Covenant, and all the Promises of it, freely given out for his own Names sake, Ezek. 36. Effectual Calling, from free grace, 2 Tim. 1.9. The gift of Faith, actual Justification, Tit. 3.7. Sanctification, Perseverance, Eternal Life and Glory, all flowing from the same Fountain of Freegrace: Some Reasons of the Design of the Blessed God in this, may be gathered from the Scriptures:  
The Freegrace of God is the Fountain of all, in any sinner's salvation;  
1. Because, There is nothing in the Creature that may move God to save him: Nothing at all, All we know or do, could not move God to mercy, Deut. 7.7, 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you, because you were more in number then any people, but because he freely loved you, etc. Not for your sake do I do this, etc. Ezek. 36.32.  
2. As God saw nothing in him, so the sinner is able to bring nothing to God, to draw out mercy of his own: Therefore, saith the Lord, Isa. 55.1. let him come without his price: As the sinner lost all his good, so he can procure none a new to bring to God, that may in the least move the heart of God to give out more to him.  
3. If it were not all of grace, than the Creature would have occasion of boasting; but the Lord in infinite wisdom, so laid the Project of a sinner's Salvation, that no Creature should have the least ground of boasting: So the Apostle having given out the Doctrine of grace in this Scripture we are upon, draws this conclusion, ver. 27. Where is boasting then? It is excluded, etc. So in the 1 of Cor. 1.29. the Holy Ghost lays down this as the main scope of God in the Gospel: That, No Flesh should glory in his presence: Therefore Salvation is all of grace of Freegrace.  
4. If it were not so, The glory of God would not be so great in the Salvation of a sinner: 'Tis now so laid, that all might be, to the praise of the glory of his grace, Ephes. 1.6. It being the highest piece of glory, that the Wise and Blessed God did ever design unto himself, that his free, rich, abundant, infinite grace, might be made known in the Salvation of a Sinner: That he might make known the riches of his glory on the Vessels of Mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Rom. 9.23.  
Use 1. If God's Freegrace be the Fountain of all in a poor sinner's Salvation, then let it establish our judgements in this Doctrine: Therefore God had no respect to any foresight of Faith or Works in the Creature; God had no respect to the freeness of his Will, for he knew he had none: God had no respect to any conditions to be wrought in us; but all he did, and doth, was from absolute Independing-grace: Nothing moved him but his own Freegrace. The same Freegrace that pardons, gives, and works all in us; All from the same Fountain.  
2. If all be of Freegrace, than there is no meritorious-procuring Cause in us, that moves the Lord to mercy: Now the contrary is naturally rooted in our hearts; poor Souls are most apt to conceive, that if they can grieve for their sins, repent, and reform, this will sure move God to mercy and pardon. A most dangerous snare, from which a Soul, after much conviction, is hardly wrought off: Now, though God in the way of a Sinners Salvation, hath promised to give Repentance, Act. 5.31. and a Spirit of mourning for sin: yet a poor Soul must take heed that he make not this a procuring cause of Pardon: Many a Soul sticks here, before emptied of himself, even of his very repenting, and so come for grace and mercy, upon the account of the Free-promise only: How many a Sinner might have been saved, if he would have been saved freely?  
3. If God hath so laid the Design to save a Sinner freely, then how great, how just is the Condemnation of guilty sinners that will not hasten in unto it: how could the Lord have laid it more freely than he hath? Oh that any sinner, for ever condemned to Hell without it, should withstand it! Why sinner? Shall the Blessed God, that might have much glory in condemning thee to all Eternity, be willing to save thee freely; and wilt thou not come and bow unto him, & accept of it? All the contempt of God, in all his Holy Commands, is not like this, to turn the back upon Free-Mercy, Free-Salvation: This will be the Worm that never dies to any of your Souls that shall not come into, and rightly accept of Gospel-salvation, that you might have been saved freely, have had grace, remission of sins, Jesus Christ, the Spirit, Eternal Life freely, and yet turned your backs upon it? But you may demand, How is it that any sinner doth so? What is it that causeth any Soul to forego Freegrace and mercy when held out unto him; that we may beware of such hindrances?  
I will therefore show you such Hindrances that keep Souls from accepting of God's free grace in Jesus Christ, when held out unto them.  
1. Wilful Obstinacy, Joh. 5.40. Ye will not come unto me, that you might have life: Ye will not; such is the stubbornness & rebellion of the heart of a sinner, that he will not, as we speak, because he will not: to such a height hath sin raised the heart of the rebellious children of men; for, every natural man, till made sensible of unbelief, thinks he hath Power of himself, (though he hath not), but his Rebellion lies in his Will: I would have gathered you, and ye would not, Mat. 23. last.  
2. A sinner doth not accept of Freegrace, because he stands upon his self-justification, (as we use to speak) he will not be persuaded he hath so much need of all Freegrace, as the Gospel discovers; as hath been showed at large; though he hath sinned, yet also he hath obeyed, and so he puts one against the other, his obedience against his sin, and so hopes to get that mercy he hath need of. And upon this ground, more sinners, even that profess the Name of God, do miss of Heaven than any other in the World: 'Tis not so easy a matter to submit to God's Freegrace alone, as many do imagine: Upon this Snare, many of the Jewish Professors of Christ fell short; as 'tis clear from the Epistle to the Galathians, and did frustrate the grace of God.  
3. A sinner hath a secret thought of making God satisfaction, by his sorrow and amendment, and so makes void the Freegrace of God: 'Tis the easiest thing in the World to put up legal sorrow and amendment of life to God, as that which may make God amends; yea, to make an atonement of every Duty, which is the closest and most desperate evil of the heart: so did the Jew by his sacrifices and obedience, which caused the Lord to pronounce of them, That his soul loathed them, Isa. 1.  
4. A sinner doth not savingly close with free grace, from a secret pride of heart, he would not be found so poor, and helpless, so unrighteous & ungracious, as to be beholden to free mercy for all; Many persons will rather starve than beg, then live upon another man's mercy: 'tis so between a sinner and the Lord, till God humble him, he'd rather venture Hell then come and acknowledge utter condemnation, nothing but sin upon him, and so stoop to free mercy.  
5. The sinner stands off from freegrace, because he will make his own terms: he will condition for his carnal ease, his self-interest, his bosom lust, the love of the world, and hopes God will allow him his terms, which he proposeth to himself; and herein he is ruined. Now God hath drawn up the tenor of his free grace in the way of a Covenant, and though there are no conditions left to the creature to make good on his part, by his own power, (for that will easily imply a selfsufficiency in him, and is absolutely derogatory from the grace of God in the Gospel-Covenant,) yet God hath drawn up (as I may so speak) what other good things he will bestow on the subjects of his free grace, Namely, The Law to be new written in their hearts, the gift of the Spirit, Newness of heart, with the making good of all those promises, in a degree, that hold forth holiness and new obedience, which must accompany the free pardon of sins, and make indeed, the free grace of God more glorious; Inasmuch as when he pardons them he will save them from the service of sin, work his Image upon them, bring them to a blessed conformity to himself: which considered aright, sweetens and heightens the free grace of God, and makes the terms of it more blessed; In a word, Mercy and holiness must go together, A Saviour and Sanctifier, which a sinner from the cursed love of ease and satisfaction to his lusts sticks at, and so comes not up to God's terms, (which are blessed and holy) and so misseth of grace and mercy for ever, because he chooseth sin rather than holiness.  
6. Yea a sinner (and I speak all this while of such as pretend to an interest in free mercy) misseth of this grace, because he takes up the terms of God, in his Covenant of grace, in his own strength, will repent, and come up to new obedience before he comes to the promise, to the free grace of God for it; which is also a dangerous snare. A sinner's first work, (being convinced as we have opened), is to throw himself upon the free grace of God, for all, to give all, to work all, and so to follow God by virtue of promises, of such good and grace as the tenor of the Covenant holds forth; 'tis an usual thing for poor souls first to think to convert themselves, make themselves holy, and then come to God, and Jesus Christ, this is an indirect course, Oh! a poor soul must begin at the fountain of God's free grace, for Christ, for pardon, for the Spirit, for conversion, for holiness, for all, as held out in promises, and then the work will be sure and prosper, and nought shall hinder it.  
7. Sinners fail of this free grace of God, from a neglect and slighting of it, Heb. 2.3. How shall you escape if you neglect so great a salvation? Sinners do hear that, though they are sinners and condemned, in a damnable estate, yet Jesus Christ will save them; if they will come unto him, fit them for heaven, and do it himself for them, and in them: yet, through a desperate folly, security, and careless temper, the heart being in a dead sleep, they wretchedly neglect it.  
8. From the power of unbelief, which they are under, and see it not.  
Thus have I showed those special hindrances that cause poor souls that hear of Gospel-grace to withstand it, and for ever to miss of it.  
Oh that this word of the Lord, might find you out, and might be as a glass to show you your own hearts; you who by a wilful obstinacy, have withstood the Gospell-calls hitherto, Oh! now fall down before the Lord, and cry, I yield, I yield, thou blessed God, thy patience, thy freest grace hath overcome me; Lord take away a rebellious obstinate heart from me: Ah Lord! Thou hast waited to be gracious; and Christ, and Mercy, and Heaven have been offered to so vile a Wretch freely: Now, Lord, I throw myself at thy feet, a thousand Hells are too good for me: but if grace, infinite grace, be free, there's yet hope for me. If there be not grace enough in Heaven for me, let me go to the depth of Hell: but, Lord, I take hold of thee, I desire to do it. Oh, do thou take hold of me, and I shall not perish.  
You who have stood upon your terms, and hoped you had Righteousness enough to cover you, and God would look upon that, and not upon your sin, you are the most abominable in God's sight: you, who secretly in your hearts think your sorrowing and reforming, makes God amends: you who have wrapped yourselves in these Cobwebs, and through pride of heart, will not lay them down; Oh! if thou wilt have mercy, thou must have all in a way of mercy and grace; all freely, or nothing at all: see all thy righteousness made void by one sin against the Law, and therefore cursed and condemned by it; therefore thou hast no Plea but free mercy and grace: Oh lay down all thy other Pleas, they will never be heard in Heaven! and now cry out, Oh 'tis of grace! proud selfish Wretch that I have been; 'tis all of free grace, if ever I am saved: If God cannot pardon freely, bestow Jesus Christ freely, I am undone for ever: Oh the wicked castings of my heart this way and that way! Oh there's nothing, nothing, but infinite misery to move mercy! All my goodness is an accursed thing, as from myself: there's an infinite Fountain of sin and self-righteousness in men: Oh could I come to an infinite Fountain of grace! Thus thou wilt come to God, when he shall smite thy heart. Which now look up unto him to do.  
You who have been making your own terms of ease, and lusts, and world; Oh render up your hearts to the gracious, blessed, holy terms, that God proposeth: Why shouldst thou not be willing to be made holy? Why should not the Lord rather rule thee, than sin and the Devil? What more beautiful and glorious than the Image of God? Oh accept of holiness with mercy, through the Lord Jesus Christ! Come unto him for both; be willing to be set apart for God, a Vessel purged and sanctified for his use, and thou shalt behold the face of God shining upon thee; and whatever is laid up in Christ, in Promises, in Heaven and glory, shall be thine.  
You who have thought to make yourselves holy, and then come to Christ to be justified: be convinced of your great error, and now come as sinners to Jesus Christ to be justified and sanctified in him, and see all grace laid up in Jesus Christ for such as come unto him. Say, Oh blessed Lord Jesus, I cannot fit myself for thee! If thou canst not accept me as a poor undone helpless sinner coming unto thee, I never expect a blessing from thee.  
And you who have slighted this free, and rich, and glorious grace, see what you have done, and be abased for it: see how you cast back mercy upon the face of God, who would freely be reconciled with you, pass by all the grievous injuries you have done him, enter into a Covenant with you, bestow his Christ upon you, fit you for communion with himself here, and for ever: and all this you have slighted, and yet must unavoidably be for ever damned without it: Sinner, who can plead for thee, when thou shalt go on to despise, neglect, slight such grace? To Hell, without pity of God, Angels, or Men, when freest mercy and grace shall be slighted.  
I do therefore stand this day in the Name of Jesus Christ, to acquaint you, that he will save you freely if you will come unto him, be your sins what they will, so you come not as righteous, but as sinners to him; so you take his Righteousness to cover you, and his Spirit of grace to unite you to him, and make you holy, and will give up yourselves unto him: All which he will help, if you will come and cry to him; yea, if you cannot come, he will draw you: if you are unwilling, he will make you willing: if you have no heart, he will give you heart: What more? Wretched man or woman, that shall stand off one moment longer! Is not Hell too good for thee, if thou shalt now turn thy back upon such grace? Let me have your Answers this day: Let me know that sinner that will go home resolved to be as careless as he formerly hath been, as well-opinioned of himself, as much resolved against Holiness, as thoughtless of being damned, if he withstand the Lord in his Freegrace one day more? Oh! Will not your hearts stir? dead, stupid souls! Shall God's Freegrace, his Christ, go a begging this day, and will not a sinner come up to his terms? Old sinners, that are going into the grave and Hell too, will not you accept of Freegrace, of Christ, the Spirit, this day? that are upon the brink of the grave and everlasting burn, and have many a thousand sin yet unpardoned? Is all this nothing to you? but rest in a blind hope of mercy, without coming to Jesus Christ, without care of being made holy, and fit for Heaven: Oh you have been fast asleep in sin, deceived by your own hearts, abused by the Devil forty, fifty, sixty years, Is't not time for you to bethink yourselves, to go and cry to the Blessed God; Oh! grace, pardon, Christ, Heaven upon any terms! My righteousness I have trusted in, are poor Cobwebs, my Confidences vain: Oh! for a drop of free-mercy and grace, from that Ocean that is in God, and 'twere better than all I have done for Heaven yet: Oh Lord! Now, now, I come to thee; Is there free-mercy and grace for one that hath slighted it? Yea, though thou hast gone on frowardly in thy own heart, yet he can heal thee, Isa. 57.17, 18.  
And you that are younger, 'tis a desperate thing now in times of Gospel-Light, when it glares upon your faces, to shut your eyes, to go on in the way of your own hearts, to slight Gospel-grace, to harden yourselves, and cry; Hereafter, hereafter. Alas! thou knowest not what shall be on the morrow; the Thread of thy Life is quickly cut with a stroke from God. Beside, to go on long from year to year, against the loud and frequent Call of Jesus Christ, against Convictions, that thou shouldest do otherwise, is the way to be given up to utter hardness, and the Lord to move upon thy heart no more. There's a day of grace to every Soul, which if he suffer to set and go down upon him, he is irrecoverably lost for ever: Look to it, you younger men and maidens, that have yet no work upon you; that are the same you were, under the means you have lived; that have not the Spirit of grace and mourning upon you, when others are praying and wrestling with the Lord, and taking the Kingdom of Heaven by violence. Oh up, and be stirring, the day of grace hath shined long upon you; Hold out no longer, Come, come, come, you careless Sons and Daughters, and the way is open to you; the door of Freegrace is open, Christ's Arms are open; you may be saved and blessed for ever, if you come in, now you are invited; I can take no excuse: Come, or say, I am resolved for Hell, and to venture the utmost in the condition I am in: Oh bold and fearless Atheist! What shall I say to thee, if that be thy Resolution? But I cannot be so answered: Say, you sinners, as if I should name you; Are you for Heaven, or Hell; for Freegrace, or your own patcht-up Righteousness; for Carnal ease, or any Pains for Heaven; for your Lusts, or for Holiness; for Jesus Christ, or the Devil? Let thy Heart answer in good earnest this day.  
Now shall I, at last, have this Answer: Hold! I am resolved for the Freegrace of God; for the Lord Jesus Christ: If all the sinners in the Congregation, yea in the World, should turn their backs upon him; The Word of the Lord hath overcome, Oh Lord Jesus, may I come, such a Wretch as I, come! Yea, saith the Lord Jesus, Rev. 22.17. Whosoever will, let him come. Grace is as free as ever it was: Say then, Oh Lord, I come, draw me, and I will come: Into the Arms of Freegrace I throw myself: my Righteousness is an abominable thing: Ah! a Christ upon any terms: Oh let, let me creep unto thy Blessed Feet; let me have the Lowest-Room in thy Heart: Take what way thou wilt to purge me, so I may but get well unto thee. Now Lord, as much Holiness as thou wilt; let thy precious blood wash me all over. Well! go thus, and acquaint the Lord Jesus with it from day to day: Wait, he will speak to thee: love to hear more from him, and of him, in his Gospel, and thou biddest fair for Heaven; yea, there will presently be joy in Heaven for thee.  
In a word, I protest against you, in the Name and Authority of God, and the Lord jesus Christ who hath sent me, if you shall withstand the grace of God in Jesus Christ, freely, most freely offered you, I shall be a Witness against you; and if any sinners in the World shall be certainly damned, you are they, who neglect this great Salvation: 'Tis come to this, I would, saith Jesus Christ, and ye will not. What a do to have a sinner that's sinking to Hell, to come to the Lord Jesus Christ to be freely saved? What should a guilty sinner do, but come to a free Saviour to be saved, and accept of his terms (which are so blessed) with a thousand hearts if he had them? Now say, how am I straitened, till I get to him; I would go and weep my heart out to him, had I a heart to do it.  
Now I leave what hath been spoken to the good pleasure of God, and the work of his Power, who is able to send away every Soul trembling, and resigning up themselves to him.  
Only a word to any poor humbled doubting soul, that thinks infinitely well of all this, but saith in his heart; All this grace is too good for me, I have sinned against it, and slighted it; I fear, whether ever I may be accepted. Oh remember and consider, that Grace were not Grace, if 'twere no free: God can save a sinner freely; that's enough to stay thee: yea, though thou hast slighted grace, (as where is the Saint but did so? before effectually called,) yea God will save a sinner freely, that will come by Jesus Christ unto him. He will: What wouldst have more? Do not stand reasoning thus: but, If thou art a sinner undone without him, cast off from thy own Confidences; go to him, in the Name of God, and believe him upon his own word: say, I take thee, Blessed Lord, upon thy own word: Thou sayest, Whosoever will, let him come: and, Lord, therefore I come: I durst not come, were I not invited freely: and if I must be saved freely, if ever, than thou art to bestow all, work all, begin and perfect all: Oh blessed Lord, I come unto thee for it; go and do thus, and thou shalt be comforted, and rejoice in his Salvation.  
I might also here press blessed Souls, who have been drawn to Jesus Christ, and overcome by Freegrace to do it, to live in the admiration of that grace, and to be low, and poor, and empty in yourselves, in the abundant sense of it all your days: Let your enjoyments and attainments be what they will, be it known unto you, that by grace ye are saved; and you had, and have as much need of it, as any sinner in the World: God's Design, in saving you, was to glorify Grace; and it must be your Design also here, and for ever.  
Having thus opened, in some measure, the grace of God to be the Fountain of a sinner's Salvation, I shall now proceed to discover the way of the conveyance of this grace, which is by Jesus Christ: (being justified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ) though God resolved to bestow grace upon such as shall be saved freely; yet in a way of his own most wise and blessed Designing, by his Eternal Son Jesus Christ, to whom this Dispensation of Grace was committed; which I shall further open in this Doctrine: Namely,  Doct. All that Grace and Mercy which GOD gives out freely to sinners, is conveyed to them by his Eternal Son Jesus Christ. 
I might be abundant in the proof of this: See in that 5th of the Rom. v. 17.21.— Much more they which receive abundance of Grace, and of the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. And vers. 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord: All the grace that should reign unto Life is given out by one Jesus Christ. The Law was given by Moses; but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ, Joh. 1.17. All the Treasures of Grace were laid up in him; and therefore he saith of himself, Matth. 11.27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and none can come unto the Father but by me; which he makes as the great Argument why sinners should come unto him, vers. 28. Now so far as the Lord hath revealed the wise and holy Counsels of his heart in his Word unto us, let us inquire into the Reasons why he took such a way to give all his grace to the children of men.  
Reason 1. The first is this, That as mankind lost all in the Fall of the first Adam, as he was a public person, representing all that came of him: so it was the wisdom of God in the recovery of lost-man to bring forth another person that should be fully stocked with grace and righteousness, as a public person to represent all the Elect unto the Father: upon which account Jesus Christ is called the Second Adam, 1 Cor. 15. And the Apostle sets the first Adam in his offence unto Death, and the grace and Righteousness of jesus Christ, as the second Adam, one against the other, Rom. 5.15, 16, etc. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous: And so the Apostle sets the Life, Grace, Righteousness, of jesus Christ, as the Second Adam, against the Death, Condemnation, Disobedience of the first man that sinned, in the 7 last Verses of that Chapter. And herein the Wisdom of the Father is most excellently set forth, and the ground of Consolation to Believers laid upon a most sure Foundation; That whatsoever they lost in the First Adam, they recover with much more abundance in jesus Christ; for so the Apostle hath [that much more] in the Scripture mentioned, three or four times; that Saints may see how abundantly complete they are in Christ.  
Reas. 2. All grace is conveyed by jesus Christ, because there needed a person to stand between GOD and Sinners, as a Mediator to work forth Reconciliation between them. Now who was meet but the Lord jesus Christ to undertake this? He being the Eternal Son of God, equal with God, was near unto God. A mere Creature was infinitely unfit for such an undertaking: And he being also the Son of man, clothed in the nature of man; he thus partaking of the nature of God, who was to be appeased; and of the Nature of Man, who was to be reconciled, he became a most meet Undertaker of so glorious a Work; Whence he hath that blessed Title given him of Mediator: Jesus the Mediator of a New Covenant, Heb. 12.24. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ jesus, 1 Tim. 2.5.  
3. God resolved, that his blessed Son jesus Christ should have the honour in this blessed Transaction, to convey his grace to lost Sinners, jam. 5.22, 23. That all men should honour the Son: So the Apostle fully, Col. 1.16, 17, 18, 19, 20. All things were for him; And, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence, etc. For by him, and to him, and for him are all things. This honour the Father committed to the Son, to bring about this great Contrivance of bringing Man back again unto God.  
4. God letting out his Grace by jesus Christ, renders his love more abundant and acceptable to poor sinners, joh. 3.16. God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, etc. So loved it, that he could not give forth a greater manifestation of his love. Now the Father purposed to render his love to sinners, by the gift of his Son, most full and glorious; and therefore gave him out of his Bosom, and all the Riches of his Love and Grace by him.  
5. This way of the Father's dispensation of grace by his Son jesus Christ, hath rendered the grace of God most sure and unchangeable to his own. The Covenant of Grace being now established between the Father and jesus Christ; jesus Christ being the Undertaker in it for all the Father gave him; it is certainly founded upon a sure Bottom: This was the Father's Promise, Isa. 42.6.— I will give him for a Covenant to the People. jesus Christ, as a common person, did represent all the Elect in the Covenant, as the first Adam in the first Covenant, did represent all his; and jesus Christ did undertake to bring them to God, to bring them into the Covenant, and so to estate them in all the grace, and mercy, and blessing of it: Therefore the mercies of the Covenant are styled, The sure mercies of David, Isa. 55.3. As a Type of jesus Christ, coming of the Seed of David: wherein is set forth the excellency of the New Covenant, the whole Transaction of it entrusted in the hands of Jesus Christ; and therefore not one drop of the mercy of it, can ever fail those that are taken into it.  
6. By the giving forth of Jesus Christ the whole of Gospel-Salvation is rendered more glorious; The Wisdom, Justice, Holiness of God, as well as mercy and love do shine forth in Jesus Christ: And therefore the Gospel-mystery is styled, The manifold Wisdom of God, Ephes. 3.10. Every Attribute of God is glorified in the giving out of Jesus Christ.  
7. Yea, had not God taken this way of making out himself by Jesus Christ, the World had dwelled in gross darkness of him: Therefore Jesus Christ is styled, The Image of the Invisible God, Col. 1.15. The express Image of the Father; The brightness of his glory, Heb. 1. And in 2 Cor. 2.6. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God, is said, to shine in the face of Jesus Christ. The Creation is but a dark shadow of the glory of God, as to what is revealed of God in the manifestation of Jesus Christ. There are the Footsteps of God in the Creatures; but his Character and Image in his Blessed Son Jesus Christ.  
8. There could not have been access to God, but by Jesus Christ; for through him, we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father, Eph. 1, 18. How could polluted Dust draw nigh to the absolute majesty and glory of God, had not he let forth himself in Jesus Christ, as in our own Nature, and so makes way for a poor sinner to come before him.  
9 Had God let forth mercy to sinners, and not given out his Son Jesus Christ: His justice must have been violated, which is the main of all. The word of the Lord was absolute; In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die, Gen. 2.17. which was meant of the Eternal Death of the Soul in its separation from the life of God; as is clear in Rom. 5. last. where grace unto eternal life by Jesus Christ, is put in opposition to that death which was by sin, which must therefore needs be meant of Eternal Death. So Rom. 6. ver. last. Now this Death must be executed upon all the Posterity of Adam, or else God must take some other way to satisfy his justice, he will save the sinner; which was upon his own son Jesus Christ; as will further be evidenced in the following Discourse.  
10. The Blessed God took this way of letting out himself, his grace by Jesus Christ, that thereby Saints might have union with him, which was a holy design of the Father in saving them;— That they may be one in us, joh. 17.21. The deepest and most unconceivable mystery in our Salvation: Now jesus Christ, as the Eternal Son of God, taking upon him our natures, we became capable of being united to him, through the Spirit, and made one with the humane nature of Christ, whereby we are also united to the Godhead, and so become one with the Father and the Son, which is the top of the Saints perfection.  
Use 1. Now what hath been said, as to the grounds and reasons of God, in given out his eternal Son, and letting forth all grace by him, may serve to acquaint us with this rich and glorious Mystery, as it is styled, Col. 1.27. Namely, God reconciling the word by Jesus Christ, letting forth the knowledge of himself: glorifying all his Attributes, making such discoveries of his glory, providing such a way of Mediation, such a glorious Mediator, laying the blessed project of a sinner's glorious salvation so sure, rendering his love so acceptable and glorious, making way for free access unto himself, and how we might become one with him; Oh! the depths of the wisdom and love of God; which of them may we admire most? well may Angels pry into this holy Mystery, well may it be the astonishment of Heaven and Earth, of the whole Creation; How much more of a sinner, for whose sake it was thus ordered! Oh: that we might fall upon our faces, and adore the wisdom and grace of God, in such a contrivance as this, Oh! unmeasurable goodness! unfathomed wisdom! Eternity is but enough to admire it! To behold God in Christ, will be the vision which the souls of blessed Saints, will be wrapped up into, to all eternity.  
2. Oh! therefore what infinite mercy is it to be brought forth in new Testament-times, when the Mystery, hid in God, hid from ages, kept secret since the word began, 1 Cor. 16.25. is brought to light, and sparkling upon the darkness of the world; when the glory of God is risen upon the world: Now, If this Gospel be hid, 'tis hid to them that are lost, 2 Cor. 4.3. Woe unto them that close their eyes, when the light shines round about them; Oh! you that yet sit in darkness and the shadow of death, Arise, Awake, look up, that Gospel-light may shine into you; Oh cry, & wait that your eyes may be opened to behold God coming forth, in the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the glorious Gospel, wait for the spirit, and that the Gospel in the preaching of it, may become the ministration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3.8. Oh! guilty world, that so slight the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and contemn the Ministration of it; woe unto them.  
3. If God doth let forth no grace and mercy but by Jesus Christ; It may serve to unbottom poor souls from a general carnal hope of mercy, not being acquainted with the way of grace by Jesus Christ, nor coming as lost sinners in themselves to be found in Christ, and justified by Jesus Christ: this they utterly neglect, having an empty notion of Christ's dying, but know not for what? and upon what grounds, and how a sinner gets to God by him, Oh! let this reprove you for this gross and damnable neglect, and convince you that all your pretended hopes of mercy will vanish, unless you learn the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  
4. And therefore, If no way to the Father, no interest in mercy, no access to God but by Jesus Christ; Let it serve to teach poor ignorant sinners, yea all of us, how to get to God, to mercy, into his Covenant, Oh! No way but by Jesus Christ; Oh! I can never come to the presence of God's Majesty, but by Jesus Christ, who is appointed Mediator to bring a poor sinner to himself, to make way for him into the presence of God, to convey mercy and grace to a poor sinners, Oh, say, that I could acquaint myself with Jesus Christ, take hold of his skirts, and he will bring me into the favour, love, covenant, vision, union of God; This is the way for a sinner to come unto him, Joh. 14.6.  
5. Let it call upon Saints, that know Jesus Christ in the Spirit, that they do not grow strangers to him, that they neglect not Jesus Christ; Oh! Neglect him not in his blessed Mediation, grace, love, fellowship, appearance, ordinances; 'Tis a grievious thing, and very apt are Saints to it, to neglect Jesus Christ; Oh▪ still know and consider, that as your access to God was by him at first, so it is still; His Mediation for you, his love and grace and fellowship is as good as ever, as precious as it ever was; Therefore have high and precious thoughts of him, of your blessed access to God by Jesus Christ.  
The next thing that I come to open is, how Jesus Christ wrought forth salvation and justification for a sinner, so that the free grace of God might by him be freely let out upon a sinner, Namely, the work of his Redemption, [through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, verse ●4.]  
I shall not insist upon the many difficulties, that the wisdom of the flesh hath started about the word, or work of our Redemption; but endeavour as I have promised to give it out, in a plain scriptural practical manner, for the use of poor sinners.  
Redemption signifies a deliverance from captivity, by a price or ransom laid down.  
Man had sinned himself into captivity, and a just condemnation; God from his own free mercy, was willing he should be set at liberty; but this should not be done but by a price or ransom being paid to God, which was the intervening death of Jesus Christ, who being the eternal Son of God, came down from Heaven, took upon him the nature of man, was willing to stand in the room of sinners, bearing their sins in the undergoing the punishment for them, whereby God laid upon Jesus Christ the iniquities of all, that shall be saved, Esay 53.6. proceeded against him, as if he had been the sinner, in a way of Justice, executed his wrath upon him; Thus he is said to die for the sins of his own, 2 Cor. 5.15. Heb. 9.15. and to give himself for us, and to give his life a ransom for many, which death of Jesus Christ is styled an expiatory sacrifice, an atonement and propitiation, All which do imply, that by the death of Jesus Christ satisfaction was made to the infinite Justice, of God, as if the sinners, that are saved by it, had suffered the utmost of divine Justice in their own persons; Thus much may serve briefly, to open the nature of Christ's redemption.  
The Doctrine I shall lay down from the words will be this.  
Doct. To the Salvation and Justification of a sinner (in order to Gods letting out his free grace upon him,) there was required the death of Jesus Christ, as a price laid down, to the justice of God for his redemption.  
I might urge many more texts, besides what have been named, As 1 Pet. 1.18.19.— redeemed, not with silver and gold, etc. but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, Ephes. 1.7. Col. 1.14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of our sins; This was it which was typified by all the sacrifices in the Old Testament-dispensation, as in the Epistle to the Hebr. at large; specially in the 9th Chapter, verse 12.13, 14, 22.— And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission;  
From hence the reasons of divine wisdom, thus proceeding, so fare as revealed in the word, will be clear.  
Reasons 1. That the Justice of God might be glorified in the salvation of sinners, as well as mercy, Now there being atonement made to Justice by the death of Jesus Christ the Righteousness of God hath a share in the glory of man's salvation with the Grace and mercy of God.  
2. The purity and holiness of God's justice did require it, which being violated, by the sin of man, it was most equal that satisfaction be made, which no mere creature was able to do, and therefore the eternal Son of God, blessed for ever, was appointed of the Father to it: therefore 'tis said verse 25. of this 3d of the Rom.— That He might be just, and the justifier of them that believe in jesus, given as a reason of Gods setting forth his Son to be a propitiation.  
3. The express word of the Lord did require it, who pronounced to all mankind in Adam, that the transgressor should surely die, Gen. 2.17. Therefore upon his transgression, the sinner must either die in his own person, or another in his stead, which God in his infinite wisdom might order as he pleased; Now God being willing to glorify his mercy, chose to lay this punishment on his own Son Jesus Christ, and not on the condemned sinner, which Jesus Christ also voluntarily undertaking, the word of the Lord was fully made good, and Jesus Christ dying for the sinner, (being made a curse for him,) 'twas all one as if the sinner himself had died.  
4. God gave out a holy and righteous Law, written in the heart of Adam; which Law was just, and holy, and good, Rom. 7. Now this Law being broken, God would not dispense with it, in showing mercy to the sinner, unless his Law was satisfied, which Jesus Christ undertook; Rom. 8.3. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might fulfilled in us, etc. Gal. 4.4. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, etc. So that the Law was fulfiled by jesus Christ, as if the sinner had kept it fully in his own person, by Christ's becoming obedient to the death of the Cross, and so suffering the punishment of the Law; (still in the stead and name in the sinner) and by his keeping the Law, in the pure original righteousness of his nature, 2 Cor. 5.21. and Heb. 7.26, 27. and by his actual obedience to it, in the perfect observing of it, Rom. 5.19. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one many were made righteous; Namely, by the obedience of jesus Christ, which he gave unto the Law; Now all sinners being condemned by the Law, the Law could not remit them, till it was satisfied, it called for punishment, and full obedience, which jesus Christ gave unto it.  
5. God could not so freely (to speak after the manner of men) let out grace and mercy, unless such satisfaction had been given by jesus Christ: now it can come easily, delightfully, cheerfully from the righteous and gracious God, seeing his justice will not plead against it, but for it, being blessedly satisfied, and jesus Christ by his death did fully merit it and deserve it at the hands of God, and laid down as much as God in infinite justice would require, therefore 'tis now as well justice as mercy for God to remit a sinner that comes to God by jesus Christ, 1 john 1.7. God is just to forgive us our sins.  
Now, hereupon, God having ordained and accepted of such a way of atonement, his justice glorified, and satisfied, his word (that the sinner should die,) made good, his Law to the utmost satisfied; what remains, but that the blessed God can remit the bondage, guilt, condemnation of the sinner, having thus accepted of satisfaction? what remains but that he should pronounce, as he doth, job 33.24. Deliver him, for I have found a ransom; God can now pardon the sinner that comes believingly by jesus Christ to him for it, without any regreat, his justice shall be glorified by it, as well as his mercy; God hath charged all upon another, and accepted of full payment, called himself to witness of it, and will never repent of it;  
Object. If any should Object, Wherein is free grace glorified, if God have received full satisfaction to his justice?  
Answ. I answer,  
1. 'Twas infinite free grace for God to give out his blessed Son jesus Christ, when there was no obligation upon him; he gave him and sent him freely, john 3.16. from his own free love; therefore there's a world of free grace in man's salvation.  
2. 'Twas infinite grace towards the sinner, to accept of satisfaction by a Surety, Heb. 5. and not on the sinner, the party offending, himself; what abundant grace, and love, to lay the sins and guilt upon another, specially the only Son of his bosom, who was without all sin, 2 Cor. 5.21. and not to condemn the poor helpless sinner for ever.  
3. 'Twas infinite free grace for God himself to contrive the way, of such a Redemption: had it been left to sinful man to have found out a way, how justice might be satisfied, he could never have done it; It could never have entered into the heart of Man or Angels, to have offered to God a satisfactory way for the making up of his wronged justice, but he must have perished for ever; therefore this is a world of grace.  
4. The Father was at Liberty, to impute this Redemption of Christ to whom he would, to this sinner and not to another, Rom. 9 He will have mercy, on whom he will have mercy, etc. So that 'tis indeed a debt to Christ; but all of free mercy and grace, to any Sinner that is saved.  
Use 1. If then Salvation & remission of sins came in this way, by the death & blood of jesus Christ, than it may discover to us the infinite hatred that God bears to sin, that, to make expiation & atonement to his justice, there could no sacrifice be found, but the death of his eternal Son jesus Christ; Oh! that ever a sinner should delight in that, which the holy God so much hates and abhors?  
2. Let it be for convincement to poor sinners of the infinite necessity of this way of Redemption by jesus Christ, in laying down his life to satisfy the justice of God, and of getting their part in it; you have heard the case of a sinner, condemned by the Law, liable to eternal death, subject to the rigour of divine justice, no way able or in a Capacity to make satisfaction to God, mercy as it were bound up by justice, Oh! therefore what necessity of a Mediator, of a Redeemer, to work forth deliverance, to lay down a ransom for sinners, die and undergo the curse and wrath of the great and dreadful God, fulfil the Law, make satisfaction to the wronged justice of God to the utmost; this jesus Christ hath done for miserable sinners that will come to him. Now, the most of poor souls, have but a notion of Christ's dying, but know not what is meant by Christ dying for me, though sometimes in their mouths; Oh! sinner for Christ to die for thee, (if thou gettest a part in his death) is to undergo the punishment and curse and death that thy soul was liable to, which otherwise must have come upon thee to the utmost, it was to be made sin and curse for thee, to bear thy sins, and stand in them; Oh! that thou couldst really be convinced of the necessity of this Redemption, that thou couldst never come to God without it, and therefore to get thy poor soul stated in it!  
3. If satisfaction to God's justice can only be by the blood of jesus Christ, then let me again press you, that you take heed of performing your duties and repentings as if thereby you did satisfy and pacify God for the sin of your souls. This is the most dangerous snare upon poor souls, that though they have sinned, yet they hope God will be pacified with some praying, and sorrowing, and amendment: now, though this shall be in a spiritual manner, upon every pardoned sinner, and 'tis a capacity God puts the sinner into, when he applies the death of his Son, and so gives out mercy and pardon, yet you must most carefully take heed, that you offer not up such duties, as if they did make God amends, and pacify him for your sins; but look above and beyond them, as if they were not, and so to cast your eye to the great sacrifice of the blood of Jesus Christ, which Alone makes atonement to God, and makes way for a poor sinner to come to him.  
4. That as sinners would learn the blessed Mystery of this Redemption, and the necessity of it, and how it makes atonement, merits mercy and pardon, procures peace and reconciliation with God, so they would come and accept of it, and fall down before the righteous God, and plead it to him; Thou hast heard the way of Gods letting out mercy to sinners, and no mercy but in that way, but by justice being satisfied by the death and blood of Jesus Christ, whereby he becomes the Saviour of sinners; Now this blood is offered up to God, the price is paid and accepted with God, and in the Gospel of God 'tis revealed and preached to the guilty world, and 'tis freely offered to any poor sinner, that will come and accept of it, and make claim to it, and plead for mercy and forgiveness upon the account of it, and will come to the terms of it, which is to be accepted and pardoned alone by virtue of it, to be washed and sanctified, and actually delivered not only from the guilt and condemnation of sin, but the power and reign and pollution of it.  
Oh Sinner! be awakened and stirred up by the word of the Lord, to get actual deliverance from the guilt, bondage, reign, service, of thy sin; go and cry to God, offer him up the blood of his own eternal Son, tell him thou seest he may let out justice upon thee to destroy thee, and damn thee for ever, of thyself thou hast no plea against it; But ask the blessed God, if it may not be more glory to him, and his grace & mercy glorified by it, if he will accept of satisfaction by his own Son Jesus Christ; plead to him, that thou hearest he died in the room of guilty condemned sinners, such as thou art, ungodly, Rom. 5.6. yea tell him, with an humble adoration of his mercy and love in it, that thou hearest in his blessed Gospel, that 'tis offered to any sinner that will come and accept it, and that 'tis proclaimed from heaven, that there's satisfaction made by the blood of a jesus, for the greatest sinner, such as thou art, Oh! cry unto him, that therefore thou comest and beggst to be heard in thy plea, and that it may be entered in Heaven, that thou comest for all the ends of his death; thou art weary of the service of thy lusts, and the pollution of thy nature, and therefore thou wouldst have thy nature cleansed, thy conscience purged, all which thou findest the blood of Jesus Christ is able to do; yea tell him, and plead it with some humble boldness, that thou art acquainted that Jesus Christ prays in Heaven, for such sinners that come and plead his blood to thee, and that he is heard in what he prays, and that therefore forgiveness must be had; yea, say, thou will hold on thy plea, thou hast no other, and art resolved against any other: If thou shalt to Hell pleading the blood of a Saviour, be it so, but I am resolved to plead it to the utmost; yea, tell him, & cry to him that it cannot repent him, that he hath ordained the sacrifice of the blood of his own Son, and therefore why shouldst thou be rejected? Yea, Come to this issue, through the Spirit of faith upon thee, that if it can be that a sinner crying out for pardon, upon the account of the death and blood of Jesus Christ, and for sanctification, may go to Hell; then thou wilt willingly lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and open it no more, but sink under divine vengeance to eternity.  
Oh! That every poor sinner might go home with this plea in his heart, written there by the holy Ghost; and pierce Heaven with his or her cries and groans, and put the blood of Jesus Christ before him, and plead for mercy and holiness, to be pardoned and sanctified, till God say, Go in peace, thou art pardoned, redeemed, and blessed for ever.  
Yet a little to excite a poor drowsy sinner to this eternal Concernment.  
1. Consider, thou art under the guilt of thousands of sins; one whereof is enough to sink thee to Hell: Gild, if continued, is Hell begun, and wants nothing but the execution of vengeance upon thee: Oh what should a guilty sinner do but close with a Saviour, and get an interest in Redemption from it!  
2. Specially considering, that all the Duties and Obedience thou hast performed towards God, or ever shall, have not made, (nor ever will) the least payment to God for thy sins, thou art as much in debt to God as ever thou wast, as much behind with him: All the Items for the sin of thy Nature, thy Thoughts, Words, and Actual Wickedness, and thy sinful Neglects, stand uncancelled, all ready to be charged upon thee: And nought will be accepted for payment, but the death of Jesus Christ, the only Price that God will hearken to: Nothing will cancel the Book where all thy sins are recorded: Nothing will blot out the Handwriting that is against thee, but the blood of jesus Christ, Col. 2.13, 14.  
3. God is resolved never to forgive you the Debt, till you have put in this Plea, and it be recorded in Heaven, and you have it in a Gospel-way: No forgiveness of sins, but by Redemption pleaded, claimed, possessed, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, Ephes. 1.7, 14.  
4. Thou art yet under the Bondage and Reign of thy sin, and therefore under condemnation; the Law is gone out against thee, thy Sentence pronounced; Cursed is every one that transgresseth, etc. saith the Law: And thou art in bondage yet, and hast not procured actual deliverance from it. If a Prisoner be condemned, and lie in Fetters in a Dungeon, and hears of a Ransom paid for him, What's this to him, till he have his liberty. So for a sinner to be in the Fetters of his Lusts, held fast by them, a Bondman to the Devil, & hear of a Christ laying down a Ransom, What is this to him? unless he sue it out, and get actual deliverance and liberty, the liberry of the Sons and Daughters of God, and have a Spirit of Adoption, to cry, Abba Father, Gal. 4.4, 5. That being made free from sin (the Reign and Power of it by the power of the Lord jesus revealed in him) you may become servants to God, and have your fruit unto Holiness, and the end everlasting life.  
5. Consider, as thou standest in thy filth and uncleanness of thy sins, thou art unfit for God, either to please him in any thing thou dost, or to be with him in Heaven hereafter; thy person and services are loathsome to the Soul of God; therefore get washed and purified in the blood of jesus Christ: Go on to cry, and wait (and beg a heart to do it, and that in Faith) till thou shalt feel peace coming in, by thy constant Plea of the blood of Christ, till thou shalt feel cleansing virtue of it upon thy Soul, till thou shalt experience the power of his death destroying sin in thee, and so shalt find, thou hast fellowship with him, and so a part in this blessed Redemption we have been treating of.  
6. Now to encourage a poor sinner to this coming to God, with the Plea of Christ's blood in his heart and mouth, and to draw forth the Faith of a poor humbled doubting soul.  
Consider the All-sufficiency and worth of the price of the death of jesus Christ, to satisfy the justice of God, and procure pardon and sanctification for a poor sinner; which may appear from such like Scriptures. The Apostle in the 7th of the Hebrews, having been opening the excellency of Christ's Priesthood, which is chief conversant in this Work of Redemption, in the offering up of himself a Sacrifice, concludes, v. 25. of that Chapter. Wherefore he is able to save them to the utmost, that come unto God by him: To the utmost; that is, with a perfect Salvation, that nothing more can be desired to it. So in the 9th Chap. v. 11. etc. the Apostle reasoning from the Levitical Sacrifices, to this of the blood of Christ, argueth the full perfection of it.— By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, (namely, into Heaven) having obtained eternal Redemption for us; and thence concludeth, verse 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge the conscience, & c? A much more upon that, above all the Sacrifices that were offered up to God: Which will appear.  
1. Because of the eternal Godhead of Christ's person, by which he offered up his blood unto his Father; Heb. 9.14.— Who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God. Which put an infinite value and efficacy upon the offering of his blood; Inasmuch as Jesus Christ was God as well as Man, though he could only die in his humane nature, yet the efficacy of his Godhead had an influence upon the price of his dying, which put an infinite worth upon it, and so renders it full and perfect redemption.  
2. The price of the blood of Jesus Christ, did not only give a bare satisfaction to the justice of God, but it had an infinite merit in it, a redundancy of merit, whereby it deserved at the hands of God, that sinners that are interessed in it, should have remission of sins, grace, the love of God, and glory to come, spiritual blessings which the death of Christ purchased for the elect; which being also by the free purpose and Compact of God, there must necessarily arise an infinite merit in it.  
3. The all-sufficiency of the price of Christ's blood is evidenced by his resurrection, & ascension into glory, implying that he wrought forth full and perfect Redemption by his death, therefore he is said to rise again for our justification, Rom. 4. last. and to be justified in the Spirit, 1 Tim. 3. last. that is, God by raising him from the dead, justified him in the atonement he had made by his death, and that he did cheerfully accept of satisfaction by it.  
4. The blood of Christ procures boldness of access to God, therefore there is an infinite worth in the price of it; Heb. 10.19. Having therefore, Brothers, boldness to enter into the Holiest, by the blood of Jesus; which boldness doth arise from the full satisfaction that is made to Divine justice, in as much as God, upon the acceptance of it, hath nothing to charge upon the sinner himself, no quarrel against him, having charged his sins upon Christ, and therefore the poor sinner may come with an humble boldness into the presence of God; and this is that which puts boldness into the Conscience of a believer, when he appears before God.  
5. From the experience of it, the foulest sinners that have come unto it, have been washed from their sins by it, as, 1 Cor. 6.11. Idolaters, Adulterers, Sodomites Drunkards, Revilers, have been washed, and justified and sanctified by it. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth from all sin, 1 John 1.7.  
6. It cleanseth and perfects them for ever: therefore called eternal redemption; once for all, and for ever, Heb. 10, 10, 19 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever, them that are sanctified; once justified and for ever.  
Now from this satisfaction, merit, all-sufficiency of the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus, to cleanse a sinner, to commend him to God, how safely may a sinner venture his soul upon it, (which is the first act of faith)? A poor sinner when under conviction, and the terror of the Lord hath taken hold of him, lies trembling before the Lord; whether God will let out justice or mercy upon him; he is ready to give glory to the Justice of the Lord, if he reject him for ever. But now if a poor soul get a sight of the blood of Christ, how it deals with the justice of God, what full and all-sufficient satisfaction it hath made to God, for the sins of such as plead it to him, how God more delights in it, then in the condemning of the sinner, what a stay is this to the wavering doubtful Spirit of a poor sinner? when he can come to see justice to have its due, and so God can freely let out remission to a poor soul, upon the very first Act of a poor sinners closing with it, though not presently evidenced in his conscience; Oh, sinner, venture the issue of all upon this price of the blood of Jesus, thou mayst see thou hast the greatest reason in the world to do so, thou wilt never come to have a safe bottom for thy soul, till thou comest thus to deal with the justice of God, as fully satisfied by the blood of Jesus Christ, thou wilt still be off and on about free mercy, till thou come to fix here, and be in some good measure established in it; Be daily in exercising thy soul in such ventures and castings upon it; and the spirit will at last witness peace and reconciliation to thy conscience.  
In a word, sinners, you that have had no stay to your spirits for the forgiveness of your sins, but a blind hope of mercy, look up, look up to the Justice of God, and see this way of access to God for you, by the blood of Jesus; Oh! let not any profane sinner trample it under foot, cast it back upon the blessed face of God, Say not in thy heart, let God take the blood of his Son to himself, I'll not be washed from my sins, I'll not be sanctified, I'll rest as I am; Desperate sinner, Of how much sorer punishment shalt thou be thought worthy, than any sinner under Heaven, who rejectest the only worthy price of a sinner's salvation? Know, the great God will let out all his Justice upon thee to the utmost, and Oceans of his death shall fall upon thee, if thou thus a-abuse the blood of his Son; a greater guilt than all thy ungodliness thou hast hitherto been wallowing in from thy youth up; Oh! Come thou despiser and cast thy soul under the droppings of this blood, and it shall cleanse thee, though thy soul were as black as Hell; Zach. 13.1.  
And thou poor formal outside Professor, who never didst feel the virtue, healing, life, and warmth of the blood of Christ upon thy heart: Oh rest not in good thoughts of it only, but come believingly to it, as thou hast been exhorted: Say, and that with thy heart, Now Lord I would know the power and efficacy of this Redemption upon my poor soul: Wash me, Lord, wash me; I renounce all but the blood of this Christ, as to making way to God for me, Oh! let it pacify my conscience, and purge my conscience, and I shall be clean.  
If the Spirit of the Lord shall work thy heart to come as a guilty helpless unholy sinner in thyself, to this blood of Jesus, and make thy approaches to God daily, and argue for grace and remission upon it, and purging thy soul; these inestimable blessings will be the issue of it, which I will but name to thee.  
1. Thou shall Certainly find forgiveness of thy sins; In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, Ephes. 1.7. God will remember them no more against thee; and thou shalt have peace with thy God for ever.  
2. God will let forth an infinite unchangeable love upon thee, Rom. 5.5. which love he bore thee from eternity, but will now manifest it to thee, and estate thee in it for ever.  
3. Thou shalt have boldness of access to God, Rom. 5.2. even into his intimate presence, to speak with God face to face, and ask of God what thou wilt, according to his will, Heb. 10.  
4. All the promises of mercy, grace, and all blessings here and for ever, shall be thine; made over, sealed in the blood of Christ.  
5. Thou shalt rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5.2. with all Saints, and see thyself an heir of heaven.  
6. Thou shalt be still a washing, and purifying, and fitting for Heaven, till thou shalt be taken up unto God, and live in the Ocean of his love to all eternity.  
Now if ease in thy sin and the world, can do better for thee, than this that I have named; then keep in; but if not, (as most certainly it cannot) Arise, and come, to this blessed Redemption, and get thy part and portion in it; and thou shalt say, Blessed be thy counsel and advice for evermore.  
But now upon this Redemption of jesus Christ, how is a sinner said to be justified; that is, to be put into an actual possession, of the Redemption of jesus Christ through the free grace of God?  
1. When the Compact was made between God the Father and jesus Christ, as to the salvation of those, that the Father gave to jesus Christ, and jesus Christ undertook the fulfilling of the Condition of the Covenant, ☞ God did purpose in himself to justify them from eternity, and looked upon them as in Christ; 2 Tim. 1.9. Ephes. 1.4. So they were justified as to the purpose of God from all eternity.  
2. When jesus Christ performed the condition of obedience in his dying, and paid unto God what he required at his hands, for the sinner's redemption, than did God, as in the Court of Heaven, discharge the sinner, (though not in the court of Conscience) and when Christ arose and came to Heaven, the Father gave him in, an absolution of them all, from the guilt of sin, and obligation to death; and so at the death of Christ all the Elect were meritoriously justified, inasmuch as the price was paid and accepted of the Father, Rom. 5.10.  
3. When according to the purpose of God, through the purchase of jesus Christ, a sinner is called by grace, hath faith given him, (as purchased also for him) to embrace jesus Christ in the Promise, to receive him as offered in the Gospel, and with him all spiritual blessings; then is the soul put into the actual possession of what God, in his purpose and love, determined to give him, and jesus Christ by the purchase of his blood, gave him a right to before, and so there is an Act of Gods pardoning mercy passeth upon the sinner, he hath an actual discharge given in unto his Conscience, hath the obedience of jesus Christ imputed to him, and so is looked upon by God not as a sinner under guilt, but as righteous in the righteousness of Christ, which bespeaks him Justified, that is, made just and righteous before God, by the imputation and making over Christ's righteousness to him, as if righteous in his own person; upon which Act of God there is a full remission of sin, as in the Text, and the believer is put into another state, a state of justification unto life through jesus Christ, Rom. 8.18. who before was in a state of death and condemnation.  
Before I speak of that faith which, through grace, puts a soul in his pardoned and justified state, I will briefly apply this to the Capacity of the weak.  
1. It may inform and instruct you in this great Mystery, that any sinner that is saved must be thus justified, made righteous, by the obedience of jesus Christ; he must come to see the justice of God made up, his sin satisfied for a price paid unto God, and this to be actually made over to him: as we shall presently show; Most of sinners, 'tis to be feared, do not consider this, that speak of mercy, and pretend they hope in mercy, but are never convinced of the righteousness of jesus Christ, and what it is to pass from a state of guilt to a state of righteousness by jesus Christ, from a state of condemnation, to a state of justification; without which, there can be no salvation.  
Oh be convinced, sinners, of this great matter, of the necessity of the righteousness of Christ, his obedience in fulfilling the Law to be made over to you, to be brought into a justified state, or you can never have pardon of sin, and be accepted with God: you can never stand before God, but in the righteousness of jesus Christ. Say, If I do not get the righteousness of Christ made mine: If I do not get thus justified, I must never expect pardon of my sin, and acceptance of my poor soul at the great day of the Lord. This is the Work of the Spirit, to be savingly convinced of this, joh. 16.8. Oh look up to the Father for the Spirit thus to convince you not only of sin, and the damnableness and sinfulness thereof, but of your infinite need to get, not only some general hope of mercy and pardon, but the righteousness of the Son of God, to bring you into a state of pardon, reconciliation, peace, with God.  
2. It may further clear unto you, that your justification before God is not within you, but without you, wrought forth by jesus Christ, for such as are, or shall be called by grace, and imputed to them, not inherent, or wrought in them: 'Tis not grace in you, that doth or can justify you, though renewing grace shall be wrought in all that are so pardoned and justified. Therefore, though thou must be changed in thyself, pray and be holy, and obey God in all things; yet canst thou not be hereby justified, but still thy justifying righteousness is in Christ, and not in thyself, as the only procuring-meritorious cause of pardon and peace with God, jerem. 33.16. Isa. 54. last.  
3. The great question therefore that should come upon thy heart, is, Whether thou art in a state of condemnation or justification. If not justified; thou art still, as I have showed, under the condemnation of the whole Law: nothing thou hast yet done, or shalt ever be able to do, will stand between Wrath and Hell; and thy poor soul, till thou comest to be justified in the blood and righteousness of jesus Christ: Oh sinners! ponder of this great thing that is now laid before you? Can you say from a Testimony within you? Oh! I was thus and thus, once under the reign, power, guilt, condemnation of sin; but now, now (blessed be rich and free grace) I am washed, justified, in the Name of the Lord jesus Christ: See that Word, 1 Cor. 6.10, 11. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.  
Or, at least, that I may speak to poor weak willing trembling souls: Is this it that your souls are restless after? Oh that I were, that I were, in such a blessed state! Oh that I could but believingly say, the righteousness of jesus Christ were mine, and that now I am, I am justified; Oh what peace, and sweetness, and joy would fill my heart? Why Soul! If this be indeed the breathing of thy Soul, jesus Christ is thine, and thou art justified and pardoned, and God will at last give in unto thee (if thou continue to follow him) the sense and comfort of it in thy poor Soul: Only by the way take a Discovery or two of the reality of thy Heart in this matter.  
1. If thy Soul, from a Spiritual Conviction, be under a real making out after justification by jesus Christ, than thou wouldst also be as really sanctified, be made holy. 'Twas as much in the purpose of God to call thee out of a state of sin, and to sanctify thee, as to pardon and justify thee, 1 Ep. John 5.6.  
2. If thou art brought into a justified state, thy soul making out after it, thou art made alive in the Spirit, Rom. 8.1. Thou art in jesus Christ, and wouldst walk no more after the flesh and the lusts thereof, but after the Spirit, Gal. 5.18. If ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law; namely, to condemn you, but are freed from the curse of it: and verse 23. Against such there is no Law; that is, such as would walk after the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and show forth the fruit of the Spirit: And this is that which the Apostle intimateth, 1 Ep. Joh. 5.10. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the Witness in himself; namely, of the Spirit: So that every justified person hath the Spirit of Christ (according to the measure of the grace of God) dwelling in him, is quickened in the Spirit, being once dead, prays in the Spirit, mortifies sin through the Spirit, is taught by the Spirit, and so in all other saving and sanctifying virtues of it: If it be not thus with thee, thou, as yet, hast no part in this blessedness, but art under condemnation unto death. And therefore, sinner, come before God in the sense of thy condemned estate, and give up thyself to Jesus Christ, to be washed, justified, sanctified; and then blessed for ever.  
3. Let called and sanctified Believers labour to live in the sense of a pardoned-justified state, that God is not off and on with them, in the matter of justification, though it may be sometimes darkened and clouded, as to the evidence of it. Oh! do you labour to preserve the sense, and sweet and blessed peace of it in your souls, & give glory to the riches of grace; for, now there is No, No, condemnation to you; you are passed from Death to Life, and the Blessed God imputes no sin unto you: Let this be the highest and strongest Argument to Holiness, and love to the glory that possibly may be; and if indeed you walk in the comfort of it, it will be so unto you.  
Only let me give caution here to young Converts, whose hearts, at the first discovery of the free and glorious grace of the Gospel, and of jesus Christ, are wonderfully taken and affected with it; but after a time, are apt to want on with it, (unless the first humiliation be the deeper) and to wax sleight in Duties, and so their Lusts recover strength again, and return upon them; and either they fall, or are near unto it, to the fresh wounding of their Souls. This hath been the condition of many; therefore be well cautioned in it, and walk with fear in the midst of your joyous apprehensions of the sweetness of grace, and the endearing love of the Lord jesus to you.  
Having briefly shown what the nature of justification is, what it is to be in a justified state before God, I now come to open more particularly how a Soul comes to be partaker of this justification, through the redemption of jesus Christ; namely, Through Faith in his blood, ver. 25. of this 3d of Rom.  
Observe. As God, through Freegrace, hath set forth jesus Christ to work forth Redemption for sinners; so there must be a special believing on, and applying the blood of jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, by every one that is saved.  
Therefore justification is attributed to Faith, Rom. 5.1. Therefore being justified by Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So Gal. 2.16. & 3.11. In all which places, Faith is put in opposition to the Works of the Law. And so the righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of Faith, Rom. 9.30. & 10.6. in opposition to righteousness by Works: Not as if Faith were the matter of our justification, that it did, as an Act or Work in the Soul, justify before God; but that God doth thus make over the blood and righteousness of jesus Christ to a Soul, by enabling the Soul to come unto, to take hold of, to apply to itself, to appropriate the merit of the blood of jesus Christ for its own Redemption and Salvation, which may afford us a plain Description of justifying Faith, precisely considered; namely,  
Faith is a work of the Holy Ghost, in the Soul, enabling it to appropriate, or apply to itself the blood and righteousness of jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and its justification unto eternal life.  
So it is called, the work of Faith with power, 2 Thes. 1.11. and 'tis expressed by receiving of jesus Christ, Joh. 1. and believing on his Name, coming unto him, resting upon him: So that, plainly, Faith is a going out to, believing in, trusting on another; namely, the Lord jesus Christ: for what it can never be able to find or bring about in or by itself; which may lead us to the more particular way of the Holy Ghost's working this power in the soul, in the saved one's of God.  
1. In the working of Faith in the soul, it is first brought to see an impossibility of coming to God, as in its self, or by its self, concluded under an utter unability to pacify God, or make up a righreousness in itself, to get access with God. The soul is emptied from vessel to vessel, till all the things that it counted gain before, become loss for Jesus Christ; This is the first work of the Spirit, it emptyes a poor sinful Creature of all its refuges, all its dependencyes, all its sufficiencyes, and so becomes naked in its guilt before God, and therefore is brought to this, that its acceptance to God, (if ever it be accepted), must be out of its self; what ever become of him, he must perish as in himself.  
2. In the work of saith, The soul is brought to see that this was the end of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, of Gods setting him forth to be a propitiation, that he might work forth Redemption and Righteousness for some, that this is a way of Gods own ordaining, Jesus Christ was set forth for this very end, even by God himself, and therefore the soul is brought to this conclusion, to venture the issue of its life, and eternal salvation upon it; and so throws itself, as in a sinking condition, upon the the grace, blood, righteousness of Jesus Christ, sink or swim, live or perish, saved or damned, there the soul casts Anchor, there it pitcheth, to this it will stand or fall before the righteous God; If there be not enough in the blood of Jesus, to give it acceptance with God, the soul resolves, to Hell it must and will; There, saith a poor self-emptyed soul, I cast even away myself (if it might be) upon it, Phil. 3.9.  
3. The soul is brought on to believe the report, that God in his word makes concerning his Son Jesus Christ, and of the price, value, merit, and all-sufficiency of his blood to save a poor sinner, even to the utmost, that comes to God by him, Heb. 7.25. to answer all the wants and distresses of a poor soul, namely, in pacifying the Justice of God, fulfilling the Law, making atonement, removing guilt, procuring remission of sins, reconciling to God, Rom. 5.9, 10. Much more being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him; For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life; In all which things, the soul is enabled to believe the report of the Gospel, that the blood and death of Jesus Christ, can do all this for poor sinners that shall pitch upon it.  
4. In this working of faith, the soul comes to see and fasten upon an absolute unlimited Free promise, where any sinner, that will, may come to Jesus Christ, and so have the virtue, of his death and blood applied to it; and therefore that he as well as any other sinner in the world may come to him, and make claim to his blood, and plead it before God; whosoever will, let him come; Rev. 22. Now saith a poor self-emptyed sinner, I do not find that I am any where excluded, but invited and called upon, to come to the Lord Jesus, and claim an interest in his blood, and that I may plead it even at the throne of his justice, and that I may warrantably, safely, upon good grounds, given out from the mouth of God himself, take hold of the Lord Jesus in such a promise, and there is no sin, or unworthiness can exclude me, unless I will frowardly and wretchedly exclude myself; I do not find, saith a poor soul, that any sin is too great for the sacrifice of that blood of Jesus, so the sinner will come to it, yea, that 'tis the greatest sin, and the top of condemnation, not to come to it; that I more injure God, by standing off from Jesus Christ, then by all the filthiness, blasphemies, ungodlinesses, my soul ever wallowed in, Heb. 10.29. The blood of Christ is a price sufficient for the sins of the whole world, therefore, saith a poor soul, For mine; He is the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, therefore he can take away mine; and I am freely called and invited to it, and 'tis my rebellion not to come, what can I have more? And so sense of peace and reconciliation falls in upon the Soul.  
5. The soul by its often renewing of such Acts of believing, comes at last to see the blood of Jesus Christ appropriated to him; now it can stay itself upon the word of promise; and can sometimes rejoice in believing. If I roll myself upon the blood of Jesus, I have the word of God for it, that I shall be saved; we shall be saved from wrath through him; not, it may be, but, we shall be saved, and all upon the account of being justified by his blood, Rom. 5.9. which justification ariseth upon this believing we have mentioned.  
Thus have I opened the nature of faith, as it is precisely justifying, as it applies and appropriates the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus, for remission of sins, and Justification unto eternal Life; I might insist upon the discovery of the effectual operations of faith in the soul; as may distinguish it from a mere belief of the History of the death of Jesus Christ; take two or three.  
1. When the soul, by faith, doth act upon the blood of Jesus Christ for justification, it doth also bring the power and efficacy of it, for the purging of the soul, Heb. 9.14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God; So Act. 15.9. Purifying your hearts by faith. There is a purifying virtue in the blood of Jesus Christ, upon the souls of believers; They are for the purging away the filth, as well as the guilt of sin; There's no believing soul but cries out, Purge me, Oh Lord, purge me, and thoroughly, from my filth.  
2. The soul hath a secret, yet real fellowship, with the death of Jesus Christ, to crucify and destroy the body of sin, in a justified believer which ariseth from its union with Christ, Rom. 6.5, 6. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection; knowing that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might, be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Every true believer can really say, I am, or I, would be, Crucified with Christ, Gal. 2.20. Which the Apostle there brings in, as an effect of Justification by faith.  
3. Every justified believer looks upon this, as one great end of his Justification, that he might live to God, Gal. 2.19.— That I might live unto God; Likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto him, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. 6.11. Every justified believer doth thus reckon of himself, I am to be dead to sin, but alive to God, I am to yield myself to God, verse 13. To have my fruit unto holiness, verse 22.  
4. Faith that justifies, doth, through the Spirit, work the soul to Gospel-obedience, to all the Laws and Ordinances of Jesus of Christ, which shall be revealed to be the will Christ; from the Command of Jesus Christ, and from a principle of love to Jesus Christ; John 15.10.  
5. A Justified believer will deny himself for Christ, take up his cross and follow Him: let any sufferings be proposed to a called believer, and let him know it is for Jesus Christ, and that soul (unless under a temporary desertion or temptation) will choose and embrace those sufferings, and undergo them with some cheerfulness, Luk. 14.26, 27.  
6. Every justified believer, hath a marriage-union with Jesus Christ, Ephes. 5.25, 26, 32. The soul hath chosen Jesus Christ, having broken off from all other lovers, hath betrothed itself unto Christ, in an everlasting bond and Covenant, hath given itself to Christ; As Jesus Christ bestows himself and all he hath upon the soul, so doth the soul bestow itself, and all it hath upon Jesus Christ, and having so done resolves to be contented with him in every condition; whom have I in heaven but thee? and none in earth in Comparison of thee, saith every gracious Believer.  
7. Every justified believer lives by his faith, Gal. 2.20. lives upon Jesus Christ for all, and fetcheth all from him, sees him as a treasury of all grace, hath recourse unto him, this being the most proper Act of Faith, to make the soul live out of its self, upon another, namely, Jesus Christ for all.  
8. Faith, that entitles the Soul to Jesus Christ, works by love to all Saints, Gal. 5.6. When the Soul closeth with Jesus Christ, it will also close with his Disciples, as distinguished from carnal, unsavoury, dead Professors. What makes the living among the dead? A living Soul, alive in Christ, highly prizeth fellowship with such as are alive.  
I might name many more particulars; but these may suffice, as the most distinguishing.  
1. Let what hath been spoken, serve to discover to you, Whether you have a Faith that doth entitle you to the blood of Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness of your sins. Can you say, your Souls are carried out after more purging, and 'tis your daily cry to Heaven? Can you say, that you are often crucifying with Jesus Christ? And oh that I were, that I were but crucified with Jesus Christ, that I might reckon of myself as dead to sin! And oh that I might live to God, and might walk in Gospel-obedience! That I might throughly deny myself for Jesus Christ, and choose to suffer with him, and for him. Oh I would more clearly see the Marriage-union between Christ and my poor Soul▪ I would, I do, bestow myself upon him, and all that's mine; I do give myself to him; I will be contented with him here, and for ever: Whom have I, whom have I, but him? Oh have you found, in some good degree, such Workings of heart towards Jesus Christ! And do you live by your Faith, upon Christ, upon Promises? and do you maintain your Souls this way: And do you love, and delight in, the Fellowship of living souls, savoury souls; or do you, at least, long that you may have opportunity to do so? If you cannot, in some measure, experience these things, your Faith is a dead empty Speculation; such a Faith that is so far from uniting you to Christ, that indeed it keeps you on this side Jesus Christ: And therefore say of it, 'tis a Faith that is in vain, that keeps me dead in my sins: Oh therefore, say in thy Heart, I will now wait on the Word, the Ministration of it, that is ordained of God to beget Faith; I will go and pray the Father to draw me to Jesus Christ, and that my soul may be united to him, that I may have Fellowship in his Death and Resurrection; that I may be made alive unto God, that I may feel the pacifying-purging virtue of the blood of the Lord Jesus upon my poor Soul.  
By what hath been said, Believers may try their Faith; and if they find their Souls to have experienced these things, they may take comfort that they are justified by Faith in the blood of Jesus, and therefore shall be saved by his Life.  
To wind up all in a word of Exhortation.  
If God hath set forth jesus Christ to be a propitiation, that through Faith, in his blood, a sinner may become justified from his sin, than what encouragement is here for sinners to come to him, and believe on his Name, to venture the issue of Eternal Salvation upon him, since God himself hath set him forth. For that end and purpose, that sinners might come unto him, and be washed, justified, saved from their sins. 'Tis not then to be doubted, but that God as he hath therein taken care for the Salvation of the sinner, so for the glory of his own righteousness: so that the sinner hath no reason to doubt, that comes to Jesus in the way proposed; but that God can take pleasure to accept of him through the blood of Jesus. 'Twas the most deliberate Act that ever the Wisdom of God was taken up about, the setting forth of Jesus Christ, to be the Saviour of sinners through his blood: 'Twas the first Foundation that God said from all Eternity; and after he had promised Jesus Christ, it was some thousands of years before he set him forth to the World: and therefore God cannot repent nor change his mind, & purpose, as to accepting, pardoning, justifying, sanctifying poor sinners, that cast their souls upon it, by the blood of his Son Jesus Christ. Upon which it is, that blessed Souls are brought in, in the Scriptures, magnifying the grace of God for their cleansing by the blood of Jesus, 1 Joh. 1.7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin: So are the Saints brought forth triumphing, Rev. 5.9. Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood: And Chap. 7.14. These are they who have washed their Robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, I say, with what boldness may poor sinners come unto it? and how certainly, are they in God's way to Salvation? in which way, blessed souls have been ever found, and none did ever miss of this end, the Salvation of their Souls.  
I have now dispatched what I shall speak at this time, as to the Doctrine of Justification, by the Freegrace of God, through the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and of Saving-Faith therein, and shall commit it to the Lord to work it upon the Conscience; I shall a little insist upon the last verse, in the removal of that Objection, which the Heart puts up, against this blessed Truth.   
ROM. 3. last. 
Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbidden; yea, we establish the Law.  
THE former Verses intermitted, might have afforded us much choice matter, in the opening the Doctrine of Grace, and the Righteousness of Jesus Christ; namely, that God is just in the remission of a Believer, upon Faith in the blood of Jesus, from verse 26. And that the Doctrine of Grace excludes all boasting from the Creature, from v. 27. That Jew and Gentile, all that are saved, must come to God, and be justified in this way, and no other, from v. 29, 30. But I must contract myself. I come now to the Objection, that the Heart, so far as it is carnal, doth naturally make against this Doctrine; namely, If a Soul be only justified by grace, through the righteousness of Jesus Christ, doth not this then make void the Law, and all obedience to it? What need then of our Obedience? God forbidden, saith Paul, we establish it; that is, the Doctrine of justification by Faith, doth rather establish it. The Law doth stand established in a threefold sense.  
First, Jesus Christ hath established it by fulfilling it, whereby the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled upon us, Rom. 8.4. Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law, and kept it, and so makes over the righteousness of it to Believers, as hath been showed; and so the Law stands established.  
Secondly, The Law stands established as a means, through the Spirit, to convince of sin, and of our shortness of the righteousness of it; as ver. 20. And so Christ often made use of it for such ends.  
Thirdly, The Law stands established, as an everlasting Rule of Righteousness and Holiness, promised in the New Covenant to be written in the Heart, Heb. 8.  
So that, though Jesus Christ, in justifying by his blood, hath quit the sinner from all guilt and condemnation by the Law; yet he hath not given the Believer a discharge from all obedience of it: And therefore to evince this, I shall lay down this Position, That,  
Observe. Though all a Believer hath done or can do, cannot justify him before God; yet there are other blessed ends, why he should obey God, and delight in his Law.  
1. Obedience to God is placed as the great end of our redemption, Luk. 1.74, 75.— That we might serve him without fear (a fear of bondage) in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. God had not only in his purpose the remission and salvation of the sinner, but that thereby he would have all that are called into this grace to serve him in Holiness. And this end is to be upon the heart of the Believer, when justified by Faith: The purpose of God in this, is, that I should serve him in holiness, 1 Tim. 1.9. That I should live to God, Rom. 6.11. as hath been showed.  
2. From the Sovereign Command of God, who saith, Be ye holy, 1 Pet. 1.15, 16. This is enough to a Believer, that God hath commanded it, though there should be no other end in it.  
3. Holiness and Righteousness is the Soul's conformity unto God; it is a Beam of God, an Image of God, which he designs to be renewed upon all that shall be saved; as shall be further showed.  
4. Justified Believers do see an equity, goodness, and blessedness in the Law of God, in all his holy and righteous Precepts, though they were not commanded. The Law is holy, just, and good, Rom. 7. saith Paul, speaking after the regenerate part. So David, Psal. 119. often, Thy Commandments which I have loved. They give God his due, and the Creature his due; and therefore to be walked in, though not thereby justified.  
5. There is a principle of love to God, shed abroad in the heart of every justified Believer, from the sense of his rich pardoning-grace, the freeness of his love, which acts and constrains a Soul to take delight, so far as it is regenerated, in every Command of God, Rom. 5.5. 2 Cor. 5.14, 15. For the love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; And that he died for all, that they which live should not live to themselves, but to him that died for them.  
6. Called and justified Believers have blessed sight of Jesus Christ, that wonderfully take their hearts: they have glimpses of the beauty of his Holiness, and would therefore be made like unto him, 1 Joh. 3.2, 3. They would obey the Will of the Father, as Jesus Christ did: They would be holy, and righteous, and wise, and patiented, and Heavenly, as Jesus Christ was.  
7. Believers, in the way of their Duty and Obedience, have blessed fellowship and communion with God: Saith God of his Ordinances, Exod. 25.22. There will I meet thee and commune with thee: And Exod. 20.24.— In all places where I record my Name, there will I come unto thee, and bless thee. They are everlasting Promises to all the ways of obedience, wherein the people of God do walk before him in. They pray, they read, hear, they partake of the Supper in Christ's way, and there they have life and blessing to their Souls, and many a sweet intimation of love and mercy they have whispered into them: they set themselves to walk with God in his fear and counsel, and God walks with them; and their lives, if they keep close to God, are sweet and comfortable to them. And this is even as much to them, as if they were thereby justified: They would not miss the sweetness they meet with, in such ways of Duty, for all the World.  
8. By their Sanctification and Obedience, their justification is comfortably evidenced to them, Rom. 6.16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto Death, or of obedience unto Righteousness: And— Ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him, 1 joh. 2.29. We know, that we have passed from Death to Life, because we love the Brethren. So that, no doubt, Believers may come to a sweet and blessed Evidence of their good estate, and of their justification, by the work of Sanctification in them, and their willing obedience to God, though a Believer doth not always, and at all times, fetch in his Evidence of Believing, and of comfort this way; but sometimes from the Promise, and from the more immediate Testimony of the Spirit. But though a Believer doth not, and it may be cannot, always fetch in his consolation and peace from Sanctification and Obedience: yet that Soul that wholly neglects it, and sleights Evidences from Humiliation, Sanctification, and Obedience, had best timely look to it, that the Witness in himself he pretends to, be not from imagination of his own heart, from the wicked ones delusion, and from some overly notions of grace that may affect his heart, but leave him on this side Regeneration.  
9 Believers do perform their Duties, as returns to God: Every called Believer saith in his heart, as David, Psal. 116.12. Oh! What shall I render to thee? How gracious hath God been? and now how holy should I be? Who shall love the Lord, and fear before him, and praise him, if I shall not? To whom shall his Name, Laws, Ordinances, be precious, if not unto me? Who is more bound to love the blessed God then I? and how shall I love him but by obeying him? Thus doth a Believer perform his obedience, as a testimony of a thankful return to God; though I do not say, that this is all his motive.  
10. By the Obedience and Holiness of Believers, God is much glorified in the World; 'tis the greatest glory that God designs to himself in the World, even by the holiness, and willing-gracious obedience of his people to him. When the World lies in wickedness, and makes War against the great and holy God, this is that which Honours God, that he hath a people, called by his grace, that set forth the glory of holiness in the world, that are witnesses to the holiness of God, the holiness of his Worship, and all his Ways, and profess and endeavour to walk in them; and by this, others are brought on to glorify God on their behalf, 1 Pet. 2.12.  
Use 1. It may serve for instruction and information of your judgements and Consciences, that there are other blessed, and necessary and holy Ends, in the Sanctification and Obedience of a Believer, though they do not pacify God, nor justify the Believer, nor procure mercy, by way of worthiness, to a poor Soul called thereunto; which may therefore serve to discover the damnableness of such kind of Doctrines, that teach, and cry in this day, Grace is free, Christ hath done all; what need you pray, and have Ordinances, and be holy? This is of the wicked one, and comes from his Instruments and Factors, who are sent abroad to damn Souls: You may see, that not one of those Ends mentioned, but is of weight enough to convince a soul of the necessity of Holiness, Duties, and Obedience; and such men's pretences, are not a Scripture-way of Freegrace.  
2. If there are blessed and holy Ends of a Believers Duties and Obedience, though he is not thereby justified, It may serve to take off that prejudice of heart, through misunderstanding and ignorance, that is apt to be upon the hearts of such as are Carnal, when they hear that all their Duties, Sobriety, and Righteousness, is to be accounted as loss for Christ. You see there are good and necessary Ends of all Duties of Obedience; only still take this with you, and to your Consciences, that till you come as poor and naked to jesus Christ, for your justifying Righteousness, and so get life in, and from him, and so are carried on in a way of Duty; Your Duties serve you for no end and purpose, unless for a lesser degree of Torment in Hell: only be encouraged, to wait upon the means for the receiving of the Spirit, for the Knowledge of Jesus Christ: And these things, I have spoken, may be your Experience.  
3. It may further direct Believers, what ends they are to propose to themselves, in the way of their Duties and Obedience, to be carried on in them through the grace of GOD, and the daily supply of the Spirit, as one great end of your Redemption, that you should serve the Lord in Holiness, to eye the Sovereign and Absolute Command of God over you; that thereby you are made conformable to God, and show forth his Image, and to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; that there is an equity and goodness in all the Holy and Righteous Ways of God.  
And see that the love of God be shed abroad in your hearts, to draw out your love to him, and so be acted in your obedience. Get your hearts taken with the beauty and glory of the Lord Jesus, and so, long after likeness to him: See that you look after Communion with God in your Duties, and that you do not neglect your Evidence for the Pardon of your sins, by the sight of your Sanctification, and your Universal Obedience: And perform them not, as to procure mercy, by any proportion thereunto in your Duties, but as Returns to God; and consider how much God is glorified in the World, by the Obedience of his people.  
And thus may you carry on your progress in Holiness, and a sweet and conscientious performance of Duties, and walking with God; and yet live by your Faith for your justification, by the rich and Freegrace of God, through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, as if you had never obeyed at all.  
In a word, If thou hast felt the power and virtue of the blood of Jesus Christ upon thy Soul, coming as a poor, naked, polluted, guilty Soul unto it (as thou hast been showed) and hast received life from Jesus Christ, by a believing, closing with him; and art waiting for a sight and sense of thy justification, but dost yet want it; Remember still, that in the performance of thy Duties, thy heart (which it is very apt to do) lay no stress upon them, as in them to appear before God, and to procure the favour of God, but still go forth to the grace, blood righteousness, promises of Christ, and there fix for thy acceptance with God, and be much in renewing of Acts of Faith; that is, casting thy Soul upon them, and Evidence will come in; yet go on in humbling praying, waiting reforming, sanctifying, obeying, as to the ends mentioned: And the peace of God fill thy heart.  
2. Believers that have some sense of their Justification, do you remember, that you obey God, not that thereby you were, are, or ever may be justified; but because you are justified: therefore you obey the Lord, and delight in his ways; keep this in your eye, and 'twill keep the heart from going to bottom upon yourselves, as gracious, and partly righteous, which mixtures, render Duties uncomfortable, and keep souls from assurance: No Believer performs his Duties so spiritually, sweetly, and comfortably, as that soul that labours to keep the sight of his justification still, upon the account of Freegrace and out of himself; that soul enjoys sweetest Communion with God in the way of his Duties, and gets to Heaven with most comfort and assurance, AMEN.   
The End of the Second Treatise, of the Gospel New-Creature.   

The Third Treatise. THE Gospel-New-Creature In Christ, positively opened; The false appearances thereof in the Legal-new-Creature (so called) plainly refuted; And the true Evidences thereof particularly held forth to the Experience of the weak Believers.  2 COR. 5.17. 
If any man be in Christ, he is a New Creature.  
I Have been opening the difference between the Righteousness of the Law and the Gospel, showing the Necessity, Nature, and Way of obtaining Gospel-justification, by the blood of Jesus Christ, and have discovered a soul estated therein; I shall now endeavour to open the Gospel-New Creature, peculiarly, as distinguished from that which is called (in appearance) a Legal-New-Creature, etc.  
Now let a soul fail in either of these, and lost for ever: fail of a saving-cloze with Jesus Christ for righteousness, or being a New Creature in Christ, and you perish in your sins, and the wrath of God will overtake you.  
I shall not now take up time in opening the coherence of the words; nor will it much be desired, as to our Design: I shall therefore draw this plain conclusion from them; namely,  
Observe. There's an absolute necessity, in order to the Salvation of every soul, to become a New Creature in Christ.  
Having proved it, we shall open the way of being a New-Creature; and how, in Christ: Then how distinguished from an appearing New-Creature, (but not so indeed) and so give forth the Evidences of it. Those Scriptures that speak of the necessity of being born again of the Spirit, joh. 3.3, 5. and of being converted Mal. 18.3. do evince the same truth. Gal. 6.15. Neither Circumcision, nor Uncircumcision avail any thing, but a New Creature. For, we are his Work-manship created unto Christ Jesus, etc. Eph. 2.10. He that hath wrought us for this selfsame thing is God, and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit, 2 Cor. 5.5.  
The necessity of this New-Creature doth arise,;  
1. From the tenor of the New-Covenant, in which way God hath obliged himself to give out mercy; and in no other. Now thus runs the New-Covenant, this is the great Article of it; Make you a new heart, and a new Spirit, Ezek. 18.31. Which God promiseth to give to all, he takes into a Covenant of mercy and peace with himself. I will put a new Spirit within you, and a new Heart will I give unto you, Ezek. 11.19. And to the same purpose, Ezek. 36.26. Wherein, as we shall show, lies the special part of the New Creature.  
2. Because the Old-man, all that is of the First- Adam, the whole frame thereof is corrupted and polluted; therefore it must be repaired, renewed, be made new, if ever it enter into glory, Ephes. 4.22. That ye put off concerning the former Conversation, the Old man; which is corrupt, according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind; And that ye put on the Newman that after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness.  
3. Whosoever shall be saved, shall be a new Creature from the great Design of God, in giving out his Son Jesus Christ, which was, that all the Elect should be made conformable to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many Brethren. Jesus Christ is called the express Image of the Father, Hebr. 1. And to that Image all Believers shall be conformed, Jesus Christ, the firstborn, and all his Brethren, to be made conformable unto him. God was infinitely pleased with such a Pattern, and resolved, all that he gave to him, and designed for glory, should be conformed to his likeness.  
4. All the services that a sinner offers to God, are not accepted, till a New-Creature; till a Soul shall act from a new-living holy-principle towards God. Pray, and hear, and give Alms, God regards it not till a New-Creature: So the Word of the Lord, often casts back the services of unregenerate men upon their faces, as loathsome to the Lord, because they proceed from the old corrupt Adam, from unchanged Natures, Isa. 1.15. When you cry, I will not hear you. Why? You are in your uncleanness: therefore, Wash, you make you clean.  
Use. Oh let this make for your instruction and conviction, that if ever you come to God in glory, you must first be New-Creatures: If you will have mercy, you must have it in the way of the New-Covenant: and if so, you must be made new. While you have nothing but the Old-Adam, you are corrupt, and polluted, and abominable. If you shall become the Brethren of the firstborn Jesus Christ, you must bear his Image, and have it renewed upon you. Oh you that are yet in your old sins, and walk after your Old-Lusts, you are not New-Creatures: You will not think so; therefore sit down with this Conviction, That as yet you have no part in this blessedness. Oh! All of you who are the same that ever you were, whether living in gross sins, or sober and civil from your Youth up, you are yet of the Old Adam, nothing but corrupt Nature upon you: your hope is vain, and you are blinded in your sins, and the grace of God is not in you.  
2. Oh! Let me before I go further, put this to trial, and suffer the word of the Lord which shall one day judge you; Can you say in good earnest, Old things are passed away, and all things are become new in me? Now I am a vessel in the hand of God, wrought by his Spirit, and there is through infinite grace, a new work manship upon my soul? I shall lay down rules for the particular discovery of this: only at present, yield up your conscience to the power of the world, do not slink from under it; If it find you out in your sin, in nature, the same that ever you were, give glory to God, and say, The word of the Lord is quick and powerful, and go off with this conviction in power upon thy soul, I never expect to go to heaven and glory, if I become not (through grace) a new Creature.  
But before I go further, I would open, that every soul that is a new Creature, must be in Christ; and why.  
So saith the Apostle to these Corinth's, in this Epistle, 13. Chap. 5. Examine yourselves, prove your own selves, know you not that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates! ye are created into Christ Jesus, Eph. 2.10.  
If a man abide not in me, he is cast out as a branch, and is withered, Joh. 15.6.  
Now herein lies the great Mystery of Godliness, into which all our evidences for Heaven are resolved, and therefore this is a weighty enquiry. I am to speak of it, specially, as it relates to the making and forming by the new Creature.  
This being in Christ, is expressed by being rooted into Christ, Col. 2.7. Planted into him, Rom. 6. Built up in him, Col. 2. All which bespeak a real union with him; that this is not a mere imaginary thing, but as true and real, as the union between the root and the branches, joh. 15. and the foundation and the building, Eph. 2. which is wrought, by the Spirit of the Lord jesus, drawing and uniting true believers unto him; The same Spirit dwelling in them; Rom. 8.9, 10, 11.— By his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  
Now to consider, Why all that are new Creatures, according to the Gospel, must be so in Christ.  
1. Such as are Gospel New-Creatures must be in Christ, because if they be New-Creatures, they must be Living Creatures. Now God hath laid up all life, that shall be dispensed forth, in his Son jesus Christ, joh. 5.21.26.— The Son quickeneth whom he will; for as the the Father hath life in himself, So he hath given to the Son to have Life in himself; Because I live, ye shall live also, john 14.19. Now naturally all sinners are dead in the old Adam, and utterly unable to beget life in themselves: who can make alive his own soul? but when they were Newborn as new Creatures, they are said to be quickened in Christ, Ephes. 2.5. As God breathed life into man at first, and so he became a living soul; so in the new Creation, the soul is said to be created into Christ, Eph. 2.10. and to be made Alive in him, Rom. 6.11.  
2. If there were not a real union of the soul with Christ, life (if it should be given without it) would not be preserved in the soul, Thou holdest our soul in life, Psal. 66.9. As the branch, through it was once quickened, cannot preserve it life, if cut off from the root; And therefore a continued supply of life from Jesus Christ, to the soul, is necessary as to all its spiritual actings as a new Creature.  
3. By being in Christ, the soul is made partaker of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. by which the regenerate part, all gracious habits, are infused in the soul, whereby the New-Creature is form up, in believers. Hence it is, that all grace and holiness is infused into the soul, as distinguished from Common grace, that at last withereth, John 15.6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, etc. therefore a necessity of being in Christ.  
4. Without being in Christ, the power and reign of sin, the body of sin, will not be destroyed; no destroying the body of sin, by any possible endeavours, but by the influence of the death of jesus Christ, and a real fellowship therewith, which cannot be attained but by being planted into Christ; Rom. 6.5, 6. For if we have been planted together into the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin be destroyed, that hence forth we might not serve sin; All the proper mortifying power that believers have of the body of sin, is drawn from fellowship with the death of jesus Christ, which fellowship ariseth only from being one with him.  
5. The Image of God cannot be renewed upon us, but in Christ? As we have born the Image of the Earthly, we shall also bear the Image of the heavenly; 1 Cor. 15.19. So, Rom. 8.29.— we are made conformable to the Image of his Son; By union a soul is made partaker of the fullness of jesus Christ, as all grace is laid up in him, and of that fullness partakes by measure of every grace from him; john 1.16. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace; that is, grace according to the pattern of Jesus Christ, partaking of every grace in him according to the measure allowed to every member and branch in him.  
6. Without being in Christ, no duty is accepted with God; by being in Christ, we are accepted in the righteousness of Christ, whereby all the duties of a Child of God are accepted with the Father, 1 Pet. 3.5. as performed by a principle of life from jesus Christ, and offered up to God in the name and righteousness of Christ; otherwise let praying and all other duties be never so strictly, frequently, devoutly performed, they find no acceptance with God, and the soul is not bettered by them: Without me ye can do nothing. John 15. saith Jesus Christ.  
7. Without being in Jesus Christ, there can be no holy fruit in conversation brought forth to God, John 15.5. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; All the fruit that is of our own stock, comes to nought, but the fruit that is brought forth in Christ, from implantation into him, is precious; fruit unto repentance. Reformation, holiness and righteousness, and doing of any good, unless it proceed from the life we have in Christ is Pharisaical, and comes to nothing, and will be burnt up in the day of the Lord; wherefore sanctified believers are called the trees of righteousness, Esay 61. as planted engrafted into Jesus Christ, whereby they bring forth all their favory fruit unto God.  
Use. See now the great and weighty, and indispensable necessity of getting into Christ, of having union with him, the main pillar upon which hangs all your Comfort; Do what you will and be out of Jesus Christ, and 'tis an accursed loathed sacrifice; Do what thou wilt from thy own stock, and 'tis bitter fruit; A dram of what is performed in Christ, is of more worth than a mighty daily bulk of duties without it; not hereby to lessen a believer, as to muchness of duty, but to show the unacceptableness of all duties, though never so many, long, devout, till a poor soul performs all from a new principle, and power of life in the soul from jesus Christ, and so a new Creature.  
Oh! that poor souls were thoroughly convinced of this, who, so they perform duties, never consider this. Oh! lay to heart thy dead condition, and the infinite necessity of getting into Christ: No life in thy soul, no preserving of life, till Jesus Christ; nothing of the divine nature upon thee, no destroying of sin, nothing of the Image of God upon thee; that is saving; no duty accepted, no fruit unto God in thy conversation, till thou hast the real experience of this blessed Mystery in thy soul, of being one in Christ, through the spirit, till thy soul knoweth what union & fellowship with the Son of God meaneth; Therefore souls that fall short here, their knowledge, profession, conversation is lost labour, is to the great matter of eternal life and salvation.  
2. If all that are truly and savingly New-Creatures, are in Christ; then a New-Creature any other way, is but a semblance and appearance of it, and not so indeed and reality; If from ourselves, from the power of the Law upon the Conscience, or upon any other account whatsoever.  
And therefore, I still say, the more we consider of this matter, of the more narrow enquiry do we find it to be.  
There is a semblance and likeness, of being New-Creatures, which is not really so, a semblance of holiness, a holy fruit, which is not truly so, but will at last whither; and hence, all the withered professors in this day, as we shall presently show.  
I shall not here speak of such, as pretend to no manner of change inward or outward, such as are in all things, the same that ever they were, as such as live in known gross sins, they have no appearance or pretence of claim to the Title and Character of the New-Creature; By their own concession and acknowledgement they are still the same as ever they were, therefore, not so much as pretend to be made New; to such I shall, if God will, apply a further word before we have done.  
Only now of the semblance of the New-Creature, (falsely so called) but not really so.  
1. A soul being convinced of the damnableness, of such and such a sin, from the Law, and the power of the word upon the Conscience, that a soul living, continuing in it, shall never enter into the Kingdom of God: as from such a place, as, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not enter into the Kingdom of God, Be not deceived, neither Fornicators, Adulterers, Idolaters, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor Thiefs, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God, And such were some of you, etc. I say from this or the like Scripture, a soul may be convinced, that if he continued in any of these gross wickednesses, he shall never see the face of God, and so may take up from the gross outward Acts of them, or, at least, from a frequent committing them; Now this person may go no further, and because he hath left some special gross sin, he thinks himself a true Convert, and a Newman, and may flatter himself with the conceit of being the New-Creature we are to set forth; but no New inward man, no coming to Christ, nor being in Christ; And, it may be feared, many souls are under this dreadful snare.  
2. Such a kind of outward Reformation, may arise from special judgement, and affliction upon a sinner, trembling that God hath smitten him for such a sin, and so may take up from it; and this also often passeth for conversion; not but that sometimes God gins the first stroke by laying his hand upon a sinner, but I speak of a mere taking up from a profane course, and never getting into Jesus Christ, which many rest themselves in.  
3. A sinner may leave some sins of youth, as inconsistent with riper years; and upon that, may take himself to be a Convert, or a kind of New-Creature, to be changed and turned from what he was; but not forsaking this sin with loathing of it, as against God, no unbrokennesse of heart for it, and the root of it still unsubdued in his heart.  
4. A sinner may take up from some gross sins, as inconsistent with reputation, credit in the world, or his profit and worldly advantage, so many debauched persons turn to be great worldlings, and yet take themselves to be good Converts, when they have turned from a sin that would waste their estates, to be wretched worldlings; yet these go away with a good opinion, of themselves.  
5. Sinners may take up and reform, to get the favour of some Religious Friend, or great person that doth countenance Religion, in hope of some special preferment or honour by them, and so get a form of profession, an ability to speak of good things, own the best people, hear good men, and yet all this proceed from a rotten heart; as was with Simon Magus, Acts 8. hoping after great gain by the gift of the Holy Ghost, the gift of Miracles, and yet was in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity.  
6. Souls may have a kind of real conviction, and taking up to some new duties, in the sinful neglect of which they have long lived; as to a kind of secret prayer, in observing the Sabbath more strictly, read more, hear more, (things good in themselves, when used as means to find Jesus Christ in) and yet may continue long in these; and not a Gospel's New-Creature in Christ; Never humbled so as to be emptied of themselves, and come to Jesus Christ, as for righteousness, so for life and strength for the performance of all duties, and subduing of all sin, and herein chief the Legal New-Creature (so called) doth consist, in taking up to most known outward duties, something strictly, (yea sometimes more than a soul that is in Christ) and make conscience of them, as of gross outward sins: and yet no Gospel New-Creature. I wish there are not too many such.  
7. A soul may take himself to be a new-Creature, from some good liking that he hath of such as are better than himself, and some purposes and resolutions to be better; which purposes for a time carry a man forth, till new temptations, and then they will not bear a man forth; Thus you shall find many sinners purposing and strongly resolving to take up, to avoid such courses they have found to end in trouble, and yet fall back again, because purposing in themselves, and not getting into Christ for strength: and these think themselves to be a kind of New-Creatures.  
8. Yea further, a soul may be under some terrors of conscience for a time, and yet heal and relieve himself by a leaving the sin outwardly that occasioned such terror, and taking up to a greater bulk and formal course and round of set duties; under which such souls ensafe themselves and settle in a kind of peace, and take themselves to be New-Creatures, because they were under terrors, and forsake some sins, and perform more duties, and yet never healed by the blood of jesus Christ, nor have taken root in him.  
Before I go any further, let me bring home, if the Lord will, these things to your Consciences, and let it be a word to find out such whose conditions have been opened.  
Such then of you, who haply have left some gross sins, some open profane courses, because the word of God hath glared upon your consciences, and you could not commit such sins in peace, that upon some special affliction have taken up to a little stricter course, that have left the sins of your youth, only because they were youthful sins, not suitable to riper age, or have ceased from Lewd courses, because of your credit among men, or your worldly profits, sins in which you could not thrive in your estates; If this be all, know it, that your are not the New-Creatures, we are speaking of, you are far from the kingdom of God; and if you come no further, even to see yourselves wholly at a loss, and so get to jesus Christ, you are damned for ever.  
Yea if any for the favour of men, or some outward advantage, have taken up a seeming profession of Religion above the ordinary rate, and this be your main principle; know thou art seven times the Child of the Devil, more than thou wast, to deal thus Atheistically and Hypocritically with the great God, who will one day lay thee open to all the world, and thou shall be confounded in thyself because of this thy abominable iniquity.  
And such as have come a little further, that from some conviction of your shortness, of what you should be, have betaken yourselves to a greater bulk of duties, make conscience of many sins and many duties, and so you have settled yourselves in your course; know you also, this you may do, and be far from Gospel New-Creatures.  
Such also as rest in purposes and resolutions, wish, and some wouldings to be better, this will not do, if it be no more; or such as have healed yourselves, and have not been healed by coming to the Lord jesus Christ, by a more exact way of some outward duties; know it, and be convinced, that the core will break out again, and you are yet to seek for a well grounded peace; and are none of the Gospel New-Creatures.  
Now another degree of mistakes of the New-Creature, doth arise from the taking of Common grace, (which a Hypocrite may reach to) for truth of renewing sanctifying grace; And know, that every Hypocrite doth not know himself to be such, but a Hypocrite is one that appears to himself, and others to be what he is not; He takes himself to be a good Christian, a believer, a new Creature, and is not so: The ground of some of these great mistakes, I shall mention.  
As first, A poor Creature thinks himself safe, because what he doth, he thinks he doth it all with a good heart. No one so confident of the goodness of his heart as a Hypocrite, because he knows not his own heart, in that great Reformation in josiahs' time, jeremiah speaks of, Chap. 3.10. that judah turned to the Lord, but feignedly, not with the whole heart: yet the people thought otherwise of themselves, as 'tis likely, when they entered into a Covenant with God, with good josiah.  
This is it that most poor sinful Creatures do bolster up themselves with, in their ignorance and security, that they do all to God and men with good hearts; whereas a renewed soul doubts of the goodness of his heart, and hath matter of humbling for it, in every duty.  
2. Another mistake of poor souls is, (as to the Gospel New-Creature,) from a misprision of sins of infirmities, for such as are indeed reigning damning sins; As to instance, to lie for advantage, to swear petty Oaths sometimes, by faith and troth, by the mass, to mention God's name frequently, as a byword, crying Oh Lord, Oh God, slightly, vainly, or sometimes to drink to excess, or the like evils; 'Tis common to hear wretched souls, when convinced of them, to excuse the matter, Why, 'tis their infirmity, whereas it proceeds from a heart wholly unregenerate, and under the power and reign of sin.  
Infirmities of the Children of God, are not allowed by them, but humbled for, mourned for, every day watched against, the root of them they endeavour to mortify through the Spirit; which the common professor that calls all his sins his infirmities, doth not, Oh! Souls, there's a vast difference between the infirmities of such as are indeed New-Creatures, and between the reigning sins of natural men; sin reigns in its peace, power, habit, in the heart no subduing, crucifying purging, which a New-Creature doth and hath.  
3. This mistake of the New-Creature doth arise from a misconceiving of the reluctancy of a natural conscience, before or in the committing of sin; taking it for the conflict that is in a truly regenerate Soul, between the Regenerate and the carnal part; which mistake usually is bottomed upon a misunderstanding of that place of Paul, Rom. 7.15. For that which I do, I allow not, etc. Hence say many unregenerate, graceless persons, Why, though they do break out into such and such hangs, and omit such and such duties, yet they do not allow themselves in it; that is, their conscience is not wholly seared, and so make some resistance, and this they take to be saving grace; A gross and most dangerous mistake; Now take such a person, and he hath not a delight in the Law of God, in the inward man, as Paul had, vers. 22. doth not cry out as inwardly burdened, wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death? No such daily complaints and groan under the weight of it, No tying God through Jesus Christ for deliverance from it, No serving the Law of God with a renewed inward man, No walking after the Spirit; as Paul professeth to do; so that unless it be so with you, that no-allowance, in the conscience and yet do it, it comes to nothing; and an Hypocrite may and doth as much, till given up to a seared conscience, past feeling.  
4. From a mistake of faith, taking that for sound and saving, which is common to a Reprobate; such as James describes in his Epistle; speaking of men, who say they have faith, and have not really; A faith that believes that God is; the Scriptures; the dying and rising of Jesus Christ, and all other Gospel's truths, as it pretends; yea that he believes on Jesus Christ, and hopes to be saved by him, as well as the holiest; and upon this they have a kind of peace. I have spoken before of Justifying faith; only a word as to the New-Creature; know therefore, That faith which hath convinced the soul of its own weakness, and so brought it to Jesus Christ, for life, that doth not teach a soul to deny itself, that doth not purify the heart, that doth not live upon Jesus Christ, and so created into him, is not the faith of the New-Creature, but a common dead putrifying faith, that suffers the soul to putrify in sin, and works not to the cleansing of it.  
5. To instance in some other graces; as, namely, repentance, which souls do take to be only a wishing the sin had not been committed with a little fear and sorrow after it, and this they think to be true repentance; which when true, is accompanied with loathing of the sin, and ourselves, and our corrupt natures, brokenness of heart for it, and from it, and turning to God by Jesus Christ, and eyes the honour, patience, holiness, love of God in its sorrowing, more than his wrath; and hath for its effects, carefulness, indignation against itself, vehement desire after more holiness by Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 7.11.  
6. A false and carnal hope of Heaven, mistaken for a gracious saving hope deceives the soul in this matter; many poor souls, yea, it may be feared, the most, think they shall go to Heaven, because they hope so; and think they ought to hope; Now a saving hope of pardon and Heaven is rightly bottomed, namely upon the riches of God's grace, Titus 3.7. Upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ, Gal. 5.5. Upon some special promise of God; Upon experience of God, Rom. 5. And purifies the soul, 1 John 3.3. as I may have occasion more at large to speak.  
Oh! this false and carnal cursed hope, that is not thus bottomed, serves only to shut up the heart against the power of the word, and a saving closing with Jesus Christ; till a soul is dashed in this hope, it will never get a better.  
7. A form of knowledge, specially if increased under the Ministry of the word, may much deceive a soul in this great and weighty concernment; so Paul speaks of the Jews, Rom. 2.20. having a form of knowledge, and of the truth of the Law; Many have a catechistical form of knowledge, they can describe what faith, and repentance, and regeneration is, and then think they have it themselves, because they can tell what it is, and do believe it to be such; There may be much knowledge in the head, and yet no renewing grace in the heart; That knowledge that is saving brings with it a power upon the soul, to love, delight in, to experience the goodness, virtue, sweetness of what it knows: It transforms the soul into the image of what is known, 2 Cor. 3. last. It is spiritual and it makes the heart, the affections spiritual.  
8. A misconceit of the grace of love is also a false ground in this matter: As that a poor soul will think that he loves God, when he hath no knowledge of him, nor delight in him, nor Communion with him; nor doth love his Image, which is holiness; And that he loves All, every one, whereas much envy and malice reigns in the hearts, if but a little provoked; And for the people of God, truly so called, they hate them for Hypocrites, Schismatics, and what not? or if a little better thoughts of them, 'tis not love to Christ, and his Image in them, that acts them, which is the nature of the grace of love.  
9 So is patience, humility, meekness, mistaken; some natural dispositions are more patiented and meek, and these poor Creatures are apt to mistake for grace, when 'tis nothing but mere nature, and more candid disposition; And such Souls, from natural temper can bear much, and it hath an appearance of grace; But yet here may be no work of the Spirit all this while, humbling, meekning the soul in its own vileness, no mortification of contrary lusts, No humbling for pride of heart, without which no true gracious humility; No meekning by the Gospel, and the power of Christ's love upon their Spirits; And yet upon this account, you shall have poor carnal souls pretend much (as I have often heard it urged by them) to the fruits of Spirit, mentioned, Gal. 5.22. of love, joy, peace, goodness, patience, temperance, when 'tis nothing but disposition, ingenuity, or from civil education.  
10. As great a deceit there is about the fear of God; many poor souls do fear the punishment and wrath of God, which is all they do, and then they think this is the fear of his servants; The fear of the Lord, which God promiseth to put in the hearts of his own people, Jer. 32.40. is a fear of God, because he is holy, because he is gracious, because he hath pardoned iniquity; They shall fear the Lord and his goodness, Hos. 3. last. which fear is mixed with a sweet and blessed love to God, and consolation of the Spirit.  
11. A misapprehension of good works, causeth a mistake of the New-Creature; many are convinced that works of mercy and charity and Justice are to be done, and so, from a pitiful nature, or from vainglory, or from a secrer thought to appease God, or from Legal conviction at least, they will be ready to do Charitable works, (things good in themselves) and this they think discovers their Faith; And herein lies a common deceit in the vulgar professors of the people of England; Now all the good works (falsely so called) done out of Christ, are fleshly, and not accepted with God, A papist, and many a carnal protestant, (even also for the sin of his soul) doth much this way; But good works, properly so called, do flow from a living faith, from love to Jesus Christ, and design, not a self-justification, but the glory of God; And gracious souls do find it very hard to perform them, with holy ends.  
12. Mistake of a good conversation; which may only be a moral conversation, civil, sober, righteous as to men, but minds not holiness to God, which is the special part of a Gospel-Conversation: And yet the most of people go away with this, that they are believers, and in a good estate for heaven, because they have a good conversation, which they greatly mistake. That which the word of God calls a good conversation, as an evidence of faith, is not only a mere outward blamelessness (which the Pharisees had), but to walk with God, from a Gospel-principle, from Gospel-Grace, and the love of God in the heart, chief respecting holiness to the Lord, and the fear of the Lord upon the heart; now a soul that hath nothing of this may be outwardly blameless, a Jew and heathen may be so, and nothing of the grace of God upon them.  
Use. Now the Lord make this to be a convincing searching word to you; you that have left some gross sins, from the word upon your consciences, from afflictions, from worldly advantages from age; be it known unto you, this you may do, and more, and be still the Children of wrath, in an unpardoned condition, and not the New-Creatures we are speaking of; yea though thou hast taken up to new duties, and makest conscience of many sins, and many duties, thou mayst still be out of Jesus Christ.  
And you that call your daily sins (which have dominion over you) your infirmities, when not humbled, nor mourn for them, nor cry for strength against them, this your way is your folly, and the Devil and your own hearts greatly deceive you; yea you call such sins your infirmities, (meaning as if they were the infirmities of the Children of God) that cannot consist with truth of grace, such as common lying, and common profaning the Lord's name in your mouths, and neglecting to sanctify his Sabbaths, and living in the neglect of secret spiritual prayer.  
And such of you that have some striving in your consciences, before and after the sin, know it, it may be so, and yet not a drop of saving grace in you, no regenerate part wrought forth in you; And yet how many bear up themselves upon this score: and think thence they allow not themselves in the sins they commit, in Paul's sense: look to this, or you may for ever perish in this snare, I have given some marks how you may know it.  
Take you heed also, that you take not that which is called Commongrace, which is Common to Reprobates, for true grace. There's is a false faith, a false Repentance, a false Hope, and so of the rest, in which you may assuredly go to Hell; you may have a harmless conversation, and do some good works of Charity and yet perish for ever, you may have nothing of the New-Creature in you; and yet give all your goods to the poor.  
In a word, you may leave outward gross sins, have convictions of wrath to come, have purposes, (such as they are) to be better, take up to New-Duties, have common grace, think you have faith, repentance, hope that you are humble, patiented, have a good conversation, and do good works; and yet not be New-Creatures in Jesus Christ, as we shall further evince.  
I have yet one more deceit to discover, and that is, the mistake of a Scripture- good conscience; It is true, that the Apostle in 1 Tim. 1.5, 19 puts faith and a good conscience as the great Comprehensive Duties, but there is not any one thing more mistaken, than what this good conscience is; Too many Preachers press this carnally, and carnal people go away with it, that they have Faith, yea they never doubt it, and for a good conscience they discharge it; I have spoken of Faith already, but now that which such poor seduced souls take to be a good Conscience, is only to wrong no body, to be just to all, not to purloyn others goods, to take and keep nothing but their own; they take it to be chief conversant about the duties of the second table, concerning their Neighbour; A little to rectify this soul-damning mistake.  
1. A Scripture-Conscience is an enlightened conscience, which before was shut up in darkness, Eph. 1.18. The light of the word of God is set up in the conscience, whereby it discovers those truths in their power and worth, which before it was dark unto.  
2. A good conscience is a conscience searched by the power of the word, convinced to be under sin, and guilt, and pollution, whereby trouble doth arise in it; God laying in the weight of guilt, the damnableness of sin, the pollution of it, upon the Conscience; so that the soul cries out, What shall I do? How shall God be pacified, and the soul saved?  
3. And hence it is, an awakened Conscience, which before was asleep; Awake thou that sleepest, Eph. 5. The voice of the Spirit doth awaken that Conscience that before was asleep in sinful security.  
4. A good Conscience is convinced, that all the keep of the Law, and keeping a Conscience to men, cannot justify the soul before God, cannot commend it to God, which a Second-Table-Conscience imagines it will, and so is in peace: Paul kept a Conscience as to many things, Act. 23.1. I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day; meaning, I conceive, from his youth up, when he was a Pharisee; but when his Conscience was convinced and awakened, and came to see Jesus Christ, he saw that all his keeping a Conscience, as to many Sins and Duties, could not in the least commend him to God.  
5. A good Conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ, Heb. 10.22. Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of Faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself to God, purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God, Heb. 9.14. So that this is the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ upon the Conscience of a Believer, it pacifies it in the sense of the forgiveness of sins towards God, so as it can draw near to God; and it purgeth it from dead works, sin, and pollution, to serve God acceptably. This is a good Conscience indeed.  
6. A good Conscience respects all the Precepts of God, as well of Holiness to God, as Goodness to men; which the Conscience we have been speaking of, doth not. Such a one makes not conscience of this great and absolute Precept, Be ye holy, 1 Pet. 1. It makes not conscience of purging the heart, of secret mourning to God, of the purity of God's Worship: It makes no Conscience of lesser sins, as we have showed, not of all sin; as Herod heard the Word gladly, but made no conscience of persecuting John to death, when he stood in the way of his Lusts: Now, I say, a good Conscience respects precepts of Holiness, secret as well as public Duties, inward as well as outward sins, lesser sins as well as greater.  
7. A Scripture-good Conscience is much taken up about godly sincerity. So Paul, 2 Cor. 1.12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our Consciences that with simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly Wisdom, but with the grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World, etc.  
Thus a soul that walks with a good Conscience towards God labours to a prove itself in all things, with a godly sincerity, to do all as unto God.  
Lastly, a good Conscience labours to keep itself pure and undefiled it is accompanied with a pure heart, 1 Tim. 1.5. Now the end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good Conscience, and of Faith unfeigned. A soul that would keep the Conscience good, would keep it pure, and the whole inward man pure, as a Temple unto God.  
Use. Now see how many ingredients go to make up a good Conscience in a Scripture-sense, and what a great mistake is in this weighty matter; and how far, abundance of people that make conscience of their deal with men, conclude thence they have a Scripture-good-conscience to God, when they are not savingly enlightened, their Conscience never searched by the power of the Word, and throughly awakened out of a natural condition, never humbled, for resting in themselves and their Duties, not having their Conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ, and purged thereby, not having a tender respect to all the Precepts of God, not to walk before him in godly sincerity, nor with a pure heart. You then that are short of these things, you are wholly to seek in that which you so much pretend to, and speak peace to yourselves in, the having or keeping a good Conscience; you have as yet no part in this matter.  
2. What hath been spoken of a good Conscience, may be for instruction and direction to the Called Ones of Christ; how to preserve the Conscience good and peaceable, and so to live and die in the peace and comfort of it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Get it sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ every day, and under the search of the Word, and awake unto God, and pure and undefiled, respecting all the Holy Precepts of God, as binding to your Conscience; so will the Conscience be tender, and peaceable, and God will witness in your Consciences your acceptance with him in his Son Jesus Christ.  
I would give out further; some Notes of Trial, Whether you rest in false common grace, or not, as to what we have already spoken in so weighty a matter.  
1. By your never-suspecting the truth of your grace, but taking all upon trust, never doubting but you have Faith, and do repent, and so of all the rest; That soul that never suspected his grace, may well fear that his pretended grace, is no more than what a Hypocrite may reach unto: The poor called Children of God, are exceedingly jealous their Faith is not sound; that they are short in every grace, because of the woeful mixtures that they find, more Unbelief, than Faith; more hardness of heart, than softness; more pride, than humiliation; and so of all. Now that soul that goes away with an unsuspected confidence of every grace, sure flatters himself, and his way will be found to be deceitful.  
2. That soul that draws back his Conscience from the searching power of the Word, when it gives out ways of trial of sincerity, and truth of grace, and puts it off, as if not concerned in it; this may well bespeak a false heart. A gracious heart would bring the Work over and over to the Touchstone of the Word, delivers up itself unto it; yea, is much with God to search him in point of a firm Work upon his Spirit, as to any prevailing iniquity in his heart; as David, Psal. 139. When he was before the Lord, appealing to him, and opening his heart to him, speaks thus, ver. 1. Oh Lord thou hast searched me, etc. thou hast: And yet ver. 23, 24. begs of God yet further to search him: Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me into the way everlasting.  
3. False grace is discovered by its easy acting: When you can easily believe, easily repent, easily be humble, and so of all others. Certainly, 'tis all naught. There is great contradiction within, and from the Tempter, as to act grace begun in a soul; yea, a daily supply from Jesus Christ must be, to act any grace livelily; which the common pretending easy Believers are not sensible of. It cannot be but every act of grace must find more or less resistance from flesh and blood, which is so vigorously opposite to the nature and acting of real grace in the soul.  
4. Such as are never humbled for the spiritual wickednesses of their hearts; (I call them so in opposition to the more gross and fleshly wickednesses) now these are hypocrisy, selfishness spiritual pride, vainglory unbelief; many that have had trouble for some gross sins, & will withstand some gross corruptions, through common grace; never come to be abased for these depths of the heart, which are more hardly discerned: I may well enough call that soul as yet a Hypocrite, that is never humbled for the Hypocrisy of his heart, for selfishness, and the rest.  
5. Commongrace measures the soul chief by Negatives, what it is not, rather than what really it is; as the Pharisee, Luke 18.— I am not as other men are; pleaseth himself rather in what he is not, than what he is: I am not thus and thus, as abundance of debauched persons are; but whether he be called of God, emptied of his own righteousness, sanctified in Christ Jesus, and a new Creature in him, he puts off the Examination of.  
6. Common grace doth at best respect a man's self in all it does, and not the glory of God, which it sees not; let others be as wicked as they will, it is not much to such a soul, let every one look to himself: such a soul doth not avoid sin as sin, but only for fear it should damn him; whereas the proper nature of grace is to respect God, his holiness, name and glory.  
Thus have I laid down some plain discoveries of the pretended New-Creature, that which I have styled a Legal New-Creature. I shall now proceed a little further to make discovery of a more seeming Gospel New-Creature, yet but seeming.  
That which hath the nearest resemblance of the New-Creature is, when from some common enlightenings of the Gospel of grace, and some overly tastings of the good word, the affections being something stirred therewith, there is some affection expressed to the Gospel, and some outward reformation upon it, and a profession, above the common formal rate taken up, joined also with common gifts of praying, or prophesying, knowledge, etc. Now all this may make so great a blaze and flourish, that it shall be hardly discerned, by such a professor himself, or others that are spiritual; That all this may be, 'tis clear from several Scriptures, Heb. 6.4 5. where mention is made of enlightening, tasting, gifts of the Holy Ghost, and yet such to fall away, and never to renew themselves again; and to be nigh unto cursing, verse 8. And verse 9 Beloved we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, etc. Implying, that these things may be, but do not always accompany salvation; So the Apostle Peter, 2 Pet. 2.20. speaks of such who had escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and yet again entangled therein, and overcome, and their latter end worse than the beginning.  
They shall escape many gross pollutions; and that through a kind of knowledge of Jesus Christ, and yet be again overcome, and return wholly to them. So Math. 12.45. Our Lord Jesus speaks of the house swept, and garnished, the unclean Spirit cast out for a time; some outward reformation, a damp upon the lusts of the heart, and knowledge, and common gifts, and yet the unclean spirit returning again.  
Examples might be produced of such professors, in the Gospel, as that of Judas, an eminent professor, a forward follower of Christ, suffered some persecution, and gifted, and yet proves a Reprobate. Simon Magus baptised by Philip, renounced his sorceries, took upon him a forward profession of Christ, accompanied Philip, and yet his heart not right in the sight of God, Act. 8.13, 21.  
It may be more than feared, This age (to the high scandal of Sinners, and Saints) hath produced many such; that have been much taken with the glorious grace of the Gospel, their consciences something awakened for Heaven, the affections stirred, have attained to flourishing gifts, and yet returned to their first nothing, turned blasphemers, and professed- Atheists.  
And no doubt there is such a Majesty, excellency, sweetness, in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that may for a time much affect a carnal heart, and may be received, with joy, Mat. 13.20. The very History of Jesus Christ dying for sinners, may much affect; that he will freely save sinners, the glory he hath provided for his own, these and the like things may much take the affections for a time, make a soul ashamed of gross pollutions, and yet no New-Creature all this while; And of such as these it is, that Christ doth Prophesy of, Math. 25. who shall have Lamps, Light and Profession go along with the wise Virgins, wise and truly gracious professors, not be discovered (many of them) till the Lords appearing, and yet kept out of the Kingdom of Heaven.  
Now of all others, these have the most resemblance of a real New-Creature, and yet fall short, and perish for ever.  
I should prevent myself, should I at large discover wherein such professors are short, only a word or two.  
1. Such souls are never emptied of themselves, and humble & so come poor and nothing to Jesus Christ, though hapdly they may be able to speak of it, as many souls have a form of Gospel-knowledge, and can say, we are nothing, and yet never had the saving experience of it upon their own hearts.  
2. Such souls have no true brokenness of heart for sin, they much slight it; yea, say many, 'tis Legal; brokenness for sin, is a low dispensation, as they will style it; without which (in some measure) not saving repentance, which is as necessary to salvation, as believing of Jesus Christ, and Freegrace.  
3. Though such souls may reform many things, yet there is some unsubdued lust in the heart, that at last breaks out, and carries an end the heart, as with Simon Magus, and Demas.  
4. Under all such enlightenings and tastings which may for a time affect the heart, the heart still remains unchanged; and so no New-Creature.  
5. They are not rooted into Jesus Christ, which we have showed is the root of the New-Creature; Not rooted and built up in him, Col. 2.7. Therefore 'tis said of the hearers with joy for a time, that they had no root, Math. 13.  
What hath been spoken as to this may put the more forward professors upon a close and diligent search, and to see if their attainments in enlighning, tasting, knowledge, gifts, reformation, be no more than what a Reprobate may attain to: and to lay their hearts under the searching power of the word, and to open their hearts to God, and cry unto him, and keep a godly jealousy over their Spirits; And rest not till you get poor and emptied and humble yourselves, your hearts broken for sin, every lust subdued and crucified, the heart changed, and your souls rooted into Jesus Christ, by a saving union with him; yea to give up your hearts to what we shall further say, through grace, as to the plain opening the real Gospel New-Creature.  

The Gospel New-Creature, positively opened.  
I Might here show you how every faculty of the soul is renewed, As the understanding, by the infusion of new and divine light into it, which is styled the Enlightening the eyes of the understanding, Ephes. 1.18. and to be renewed in the Spirit of the mind, Eph. 4.23. How the will is altered and changed, the affections made new, the conscience purged and sanctified, with all the powers of the soul: but I shall not take this Method, but rather pursue a more familiar way, more particularly showing the make of the New-Creature, in reference still to its being so in Christ, which is our principal scope. First, then;  
1. To the making and framing the New Creature, there must be a New-Nature; If there be a New-Creature form, there must be a New-Nature to make it so; hence believers that are in Christ, are said to be partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. Which is wrought, by the incorruptible seed of the word, 1 Pet. 1.22. Whereby we are said to be born again, And I am. 1.28. Of his will, own will, begat he us with the word of truth, etc. Which seed, is the seed of God in believers, the seed of every grace in the soul, which is something of the likeness of God wrought in the soul, and so acts the soul towards God; which is styled the infused habits of every grace in the soul; this New-Nature works contrary to the old corrupt nature, and it is styled, The regenerate part, the new inward man, Ephes. 4.24. and assoon as it is wrought and form in the soul, it works against the sinful dispositions of the old Adam in us, and there is a new war or conflict begun within us, (which is something more than the resistance of a natural conscience as we have showed) I see another Law in my members, warring against the Law of my mind, Rom. 7.23. etc. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these two are contrary to each others Gal. 5.17. And under this daily conflict and war within, is every New-Creature, while we abide in the fleshly tabernacle. This is the first peculiar distinguishing Workmanship of the New-Creature, there's a new seed, a new divine nature infused into the soul.  
2. As there is a New-Nature, so it follows that this New-Creature hath a new life, it is a Living New-Creature; so regenerate persons are said to be quickened in Christ, who were before dead in sins and trespasses, Eph. 2.1, 5. And, The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live, John 5. And they are said to be, Alive unto God, Rom. 6.11. Christ liveth in me, Gal. 2.20. Which new life must necessarily be, because,  
1. Every natural man, (as hath been already hinted) is dead in sin, and is said to be without this life of God, Eph. 4.18. The Life of God departed from the soul, whereby it had Communion with God, upon our fall in the first Adam; therefore, if we are recovered, we must have a new Life from God infused into us.  
2. If there be not a new life breathed in us, we can put forth no spiritual vigour in any duty towards God, and so all our duties, services, worship would be dead fleshly duties; this I have also hinted in showing the necessity of being in Christ, if a New-Creature.  
3. As there is a new nature, and a new life, to begin the New-Creature; so, thence there's anew breathing; The Soul falls a breathing after God, and after Jesus Christ; As the life which God breathed into man at his first Creation, is called the breath of life, Gen. 2.7. And assoon as ever there is life, this new life breathed by the Holy Ghost in the New-Creature, there's presently a breathing of this life, as indeed one of the first discoveries of it, (as breath is the most immediate acting of Life) the soul breathes, and pants, and cries after God himself, Psal. 42.1. As the hart panteth after the water-brookes, so panteth my soul after thee, Oh God; I opened my mouth, and panted, Psal. 119.131. So that prayer, that is spiritual, it is the breath of a living soul; Paul that breathed out cruelties against the Saints, when converted, and made Alive, he falls a breathing after God; Acts 9— Behold he prayeth. And this doth indeed arise from the very nature of saving grace, which is to carry a soul to God through Jesus Christ, to set it a longing not only after mercy, and pardon, and peace, but after God himself, Psal. 63.1. My soul is a thirst for God, the living God, etc. As also from the dissatisfaction and emptiness the soul gins to find in all Creature-enjoyments, which now it cannot (having had a view of Christ) be satisfied and contented with, but the soul must have God, must have Jesus Christ, must have the likeness of Jesus Christ, and so it breathes, cries, pants after God, and the possession of him, and communion with him, as the Souls highest perfection.  
1. Now, therefore, before I go any further, let this be wellweighed: Have you this breathing in you, which when you were dead in sin, you had not. This is the least degree of grace, if the soul be not thus breathing, panting, thirsting, longing after Jesus Christ, so that you cannot, must not, be satisfied, but in the enjoyment of him; verily you are dead, and the grace of God is not in you: so that it may be for a true discovery of your states. Consider, what your hearts do most breathe after, what they most earnestly pant for: Oh! Is it for Jesus Christ himself? The hearts of Carnal Worldlings are said to pant after the dust of the Earth, Amos 2.7. that is it the carnal man's heart thirsts after: but a Soul in Christ breathes upward, the Treasures of Heaven it pants after, and will never be at rest, till satisfied with them.  
2. This may serve to distinguish formal praying, from that which is of the Spirit in the Children of God. There's no such thing as the breathing, panting, crying, longing of the Soul after God, and Holiness, and Communion with him, in formal saying of prayers: the thing done, quiets the Conscience; but for God himself, the Soul thirsts not for: Therefore you that pray in forms in secret, and content yourselves, in saying and repeating such a form of words, sure you have little or no breathing for Jesus Christ in such Duties, the Heart is not exercised in long and pant for God: ye Souls, that pray out of forms, upon terrors, and no more upon the Conscience, but you thirst not, breathe nor after God himself, you may be short of the life of God in you.  
3. This may also encourage weak Souls, that have but broken words, to express themselves to God, yet your very Souls do breathe and pant after the Lord: verily the life of Christ is in you, if it be indeed so with you, and God will hear those breathe in you, Lam. 3.56. Hid not thine Ear at my breathe. The blessed God will not hid his Ear from the breathe of his poor Children.  
Only let crying-panting Souls take heed, that this breath be not stopped nor intermitted: 'tis a most dangerous thing to intermit the breath of Prayer, that it grows weaker and fainter, it will be a sign unto you, and a sad one too, that the New-Creature is rather decaying, then increasing in you.  
Be not contented with no more praying, then will just, as we say, hold Life and Soul together; that's to live at a very low rate; but just to live, if that. As breathing takes in the Air, revives, enlargeth the Natural Spirits, renders the whole man lively, and lightsome, and vigorous; so doth this constant Spiritual breathing with God, and after God; it enlargeth the Heart, revives the Soul, keeps freshness and vigour of Spirit in the way of God, when God comes in with a full gale upon the soul, how sweetly is it refreshed, how doth faintness, weariness, indisposition, go off, and the Spirit of a poor Creature is cheerful with God, and blessedly delights itself in him. Oh delight to be every where in every way, where God breathes upon the hearts of his people, and where they breathe after him.  
And let new living Souls take heed, by the way, how their Hearts do pant after the Earth and World, and the Contentments of it: this will as much damp Spiritual Life, and breath in the Soul, as any evil whatsoever: Lay your hearts to the fullness and sweetnesses of the Lord jesus Christ, and breathe strongly for them, and those things will be but wind and vanity.  
4. But I must proceed: I come now to speak of the next Discovery of the New-Creature, and that is, it hath new senses; That you may see how fully it answers the frame of man, as a Living-Creature, and what a New Creation this is: As the New-Creature hath a new Nature, a new inward life, and hath a new breathing, so it hath new Spiritual Senses: So the Apostle, Heb. 5.14. speaks of the Exercise of Spiritual Senses. And as the Natural Life is exercised and preserved by Senses, so is also this new Spiritual Life of the New Creature, which I shall mention particularly.  
First, There is a New Ear given to this New Creature: This Jesus Christ hath frequently promised, that he would open the Deaf Ear: So Job 36.10. He openeth also their Ear to Discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. The hearing Ear, and the seeing Eye, the Lord hath made even both of them, Prov. 20.12. By this opening the Ear, is meant the opening of the Heart; as 'tis said of Lydia, Act. 16. Whose heart the Lord opened: The heart is shut up naturally, and naturally cannot hear the voice of the Spirit, till the Lord himself open it. A natural man hears no more than the voice of a man, and the Letter of the Word: but when this New Creature is form, he is enabled to hear the voice of Jesus Christ himself, the voice of the Spirit, Joh. 10.27. My sheep hear my voice. A Soul can then say, This the Lord speaks to me in special: This is the voice of Christ that calls me, to come to him, and that Soul comes; Jesus Christ speaks with a convincing, particular, powerful Word, and the Heart being opened to receive it, obeys it as his voice: And so in every Ordinance, 'tis the Voice of the Spirit of Christ the New-Creature waits for; He that hath an Ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches, Rev. 3. last.  
Secondly, The New Creature hath a new seeing eye: The eyes of the Understanding opened, to see into the blessed and hidden mysteries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, saith the Apostle of the Natural man, Eye hath not seen, 1 Cor. 2.9. And, seeing they see not, Math. 13.13. But Christ speaking of called Disciples, saith, Blessed are your eyes, for they see, etc. They have a new sight of God in Jesus Christ, which sight doth abase them, and also draw them to Jesus Christ. The Veil being in part taken away, they can look into the things of God which they saw not before, the Scriptures begin to be unveiled, and they see beyond the Letter of them, into the Life and Spirituality of them. And thus the Lord Jesus promised of old, specially as to new Testament-days, I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, I will lead them in paths that they have not known, I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things strait. etc. Isa. 42.16.  
Thirdly, There is a new power of Tasting given to the Soul, as another Spiritual Sense, which before the Soul had not to purpose. A new and blessed tasting of the good Word of Life, Thy Word is sweeter than the Honeycomb, Psal. 19 How sweet are thy words unto my mouth, Psal. 119.103. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, 1 Pet. 2.2. there's a new taste of the bitterness of sin; The heart knows its own bitterness, saith the Wiseman: A tasting of the special, free, and precious love of Christ: A tasting of the goodness of God in mercies. And thus there is a savoury spirit given to the New Creature, whereby he doth delightfully savour the things of Jesus Christ, and can speak savourily of them to others.  
Fourthly, Add to this a new Smelling, to which the Spouse of Christ often alludes in Solomon's Song, Because of the savour of thy good Cintments, Chap. 1.3. speaking of Jesus Christ, who is as a new and precious Perfume to the Soul; Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness perfumed with Myrrh and Frankincense, Chap. 3.6. So saith that Word of Promise, Chap. 4.6.— His smell shall be as Lebanon: And when Jesus Christ breathes in his Ordinances upon blessed Souls, it is as a sweet and delightsome Perfume to them.  
Fifthly, There is a new feeling wrought as an effect of this new life, which the Soul hath in Christ, when a new Creature is in him. The natural man is without feeling, as a dead man is; let never so great a weight lie on a dead man, and he feels not: but now take a Soul created into Christ, and he feels a new Weight within him, Heb. 12.1. Sin is not only a burden, as to the weight of guilt, but every corruption, (even when the sense of guilt is removed by Jesus Christ) is a Weight to the Soul, under which the Soul cries out, mourns, groans to be delivered, Rom. 7.24. Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Sin hangs like a dead body about him.  
Use. If the Gospel-new-creature is a living new creature, and doth exercise Spiritual Life, and hath new spiritual senses: Let this then be a word of Trial to discover the state of your Souls. Can you say I that was dead, am alive? I was once spiritually dead, without feeling; did neither see, nor hear, nor taste, in a Spiritual way; but now the Lord, in rich grace, hath opened my deaf Ear, and my blind Eyes, now I have heard the Lord himself speak to my soul; now I have seen the Lord, and my Heart is taken with him: Now I savour the Word of Grace, and the Ministration of the Gospel is a sweet savour in Christ to me: the Name of Jesus Christ is as good Ointment to me: Now I feel a body of sin, and groan under it, and press after the destroying and crucifying of it. Souls, If this be not your Experience, you are dead: you are without the Life of God, and Christ in you.  
Oh! go to God, sinners, as you have been exhorted, and cry to him to open your ear to hear, and your eye to see: Be convinced, that as yet your Ear hath been stopped, as to hearing the Lord himself speak to you. Oh say, Woe is me that I am where the Lord useth to speak, under the Ministration of his Gospel, and yet he never spoke to my Soul. Doth the Lord love me, and never speak to me?  
Pity, Lord, Pity a poor deaf, blind, stupid, unsavoury Wretch, and breathe life into me: And then wait for the Lord's Voice in his Word, Now let the Spirit himself speak unto me, and unveil my heart, that I may see into the Mysteries of Jesus Christ, and may savour them upon my poor Soul.  
2. Let living Souls in Christ, exercise their Spiritual Senses, keep the Ear open to, and waiting for, the Spirits Voice: be prying into the mystery of God in Christ, and all Gospel-truths', get a clearer sight of Jesus Christ, till you shall be infinitely taken with him, and love him for himself: And keep the heart savoury, and the precious scent of Gospel-grace upon your Spirits, and labour so to feel the weight of the body of sin, how it poiseth, polluteth, cloudeth the Soul, that you may come to that frame, to cry out to be delivered from it. And let it be abundant matter of praise to the riches of grace, that God hath given life and senses to your souls, which he might have left under the death of sin, to all Eternity.  
5. The next Discovery of our Gospel New-Creature, is this; namely, He hath a new heart. So Ezek. chap. 18.31.— Make you a new heart, and a new spirit, which the Lord hath in Freegrace promised in the New-covenant, Chap. 36.26. A new heart will I give you: which I shall precisely consider, and show particularly, wherein the heart is made new.  
1. The heart naturally, in its old corrupt frame, is a rebellious heart, Jer. 5.23. This people have a rebellious heart; the usual complaint of the Prophets. Now when the Lord makes the heart new, he gins to take away the rebellion of heart, as it naturally opposeth the Word, Power, and Spirit of God, and the heart is made obedient and pliable to the power of the Word, the Spirit's Teachings, Isa. 1.19. If ye be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the Land; but, if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured, etc. My people shall be willing in the day of my power, Psal. 110. The heart, of itself, is stubborn, obstinate, unwilling to stoop to the power of Truth, to yield to Jesus Christ: but when it is made new, it becomes of an yieldable frame, to the practical Obedience of Gospel-truths'.  
2. The heart as an effect of the former, is naturally hard and impenitent, Rom. 2.5. cannot mourn for sin: But When 'tis made new, God makes it soft, Ezek. 36.27. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh; which is a soft and tender heart, whereby a Soul can pour out its complaints to God: yea, the heart will pour out itself like water to the Lord, Lam. 2.19. The Heart receives impressions of truth, as by its softness 'tis more and more wrought to a new frame, as in the hand of the Lord.  
3. The Heart is naturally proud, and makes the sinner selfconceited, and well-opinioned of his own condition, and will not suffer the sinner to abase himself to God, and to take shame to himself: But, when a new Work of God's upon it, the sinner humbles himself under the mighty hand of God, bears his reproach before him, and cries out, Oh! What shall I do for an humble heart? Lord, take away subdue Pride in a wretched creature, Jam. 4.10. Now he becomes a poor self-emptyed creature, undone, helpless; and to a full Christ he at last goes.  
4. The Heart is naturally hypocritical: The hypocrite in heart heaps up wrath, Job 36.13. Now when God makes the heart new, than it gins to be sincere, in some good measure, for God: before the poor deceived sinner, thought he did all with a good heart; that he did bear much upon, that he did all with a good heart: but when God shows him his heart, by the Candle of his Word and Spirit, than the poor Creature sees what a Hell of Hypocrisy was, and is, within him; that he acted in all Duties, as from himself, so to himself, and not uprightly unto God: But when the Lord new frames the heart, than the Soul is after new, sincere, holy aims for God in all it does, is most abased for selfish and hypocritical mixtures, and would account nothing well done, but as God is designed in it, and labours to walk in simplicity of heart, and godly sincerity, as of God, and in the sight of God, etc. 2 Cor. 1.12.  
5. The old Heart is full of all uncleanness and impurity, and cares not to be cleansed: So saith Christ to the Jews, Mat. 23.27. Within you are full of dead men's bones, (rottenness) and of all uncleanness. But now when the new creature is forming up, than the Heart is after purifying; Purify your hearts, ye double-minded, Jam. 4.8. Then, what a blessedness would a pure heart be, saith a poor Creature? Oh! that my heart were cleansed! Wash thine heart, saith God, Jer. 4.14. Oh! that it were washed, saith the new creature. And this is one of the most special Works a new Creature will be after, as he is more form up in Holiness, to keep the Heart pure, as a Temple for God.  
6. The Heart naturally is dead, as already hinted, and feels not its own deadness: but when renewed, than the heart doth live that seeks God, Psal. 22.26. It feels, and mourns over its own deadness, and cries out, Quicken, Oh quicken me, oh God No Duty is well performed then, but as the Heart lives, in some measure, in that Duty. Now it feels its own burdens, pollutions, lusts, corruptions, carnality, earthiness, and bewails it before the Lord.  
7. The Heart is naturally divided between Christ and the World, Christ and Lusts, Hos. 10.2. Their heart is divided: But under its renewings, the heart, as to the main bend of it, makes a whole close with Christ; the great business of a soul than is, to give the whole heart up to Christ, and fears he can never do it fully and singly enough; and when the heart lusteth after other things, so far as it is renewed, it is fetched in again to Jesus Christ.  
8. The Heart of itself is unbelieving: Take heed lest there be in you a heart of unbelief, Hebr. 3. Now when the heart is made new, there is a Work of Faith with power, 2 Thess. 1.11. And then the soul is made sensible of that bitter Root of Unbelief, that is naturally in their hearts, and they find it the hardest work in the world, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, to fix on Promises; And that a believing heart is a special gift of God, and a work of the Spirit; which while a poor sinner was shut up under Unbelief he felt not.  
Use 1. To unchanged persons, who are the same in heart as ever they were; Oh learn by what hath been opened, what is the natural make and frame of them: There is in you a Rebellious Heart against the Lord, and wilful obstinacy against his Word and Spirit; and therefore 'tis, that you cast the Word of the Lord from you, and in your hearts despise it, and say, This is not the Word of the Lord, and we will not obey it: You have hard and impenitent hearts, and therefore you do not mourn for sin: you have proud hearts, and are well conceited of your condition, though damnable; and therefore you do not humble yourselves to God: you have hypocritiall hearts, and see it not, full of a Hell of Uncleanness, dead in sin, and without feeling, the heart divided between Christ and the World, unbelieving, and yet say, you have Faith: If thou canst not make out a newness upon thy heart, as we have showed, thou hast still thine old heart, with its Lusts, and thy estate is as yet damnable, let thy knowledge, profession, outward blamelessness, be what it will.  
2. Oh therefore; let this Word be yet for further trial of your estate. Can you say to the praise of free and rich grace, that God hath, in some measure, taken away your Rebellious Heart from you, and you can stoop and yield to the power of Truth, and rejoice in it, that God hath made your heart soft in some measure, and the pride of your hearts, in the false conceit you had of yourselves, hath a stroke from God upon it, that God hath showed you your deep and cursed hypocrisy, and how your heart was divided, and was wholly unbelieving; And that the Remnants of these wickednesses in you, of heart-rebellion hardness, pride, hypocrisy, pollution, unbelief, are your greatest burden, and you mourn over them daily.  
If this be not your Experience, let that man or woman know, he or she is a hypocrite and unbeliever, and sees it not &c.  
3. Therefore, let it convince you, and exhort you to go, and fall down before the Lord, and beg him to open your hearts (which naturally are shut up in darkness) and to abase you in the sense of your Rebellion, and that he would even do this for you in much mercy, to take away a rebellious, hard, proud heart from you, and would make your hearts pliable to the Word, make them soft and humble before him, and to close, with the whole heart, with Jesus Christ, through a work of Faith upon you. Do this, in the fear of the Lord, and through his grace coming upon you, and see what God will do for you; and you will be your own Wonders, that ever such abominations should lie hid in your hearts; & yet you not be confounded in yourselves in the sense of them.  
4. Let Souls that are, through infinite grace, under some heart-renewings, know, that they have never done with this Work, till they come to glory: yea, Soul, thou hast depths of rebellion, price hypocrisy, pollution, unbelief, which yet thou hast not reached to; and therefore as thou must ascribe all to Grace, for what the Lord hath done upon thee, and remembers, to thy greater humbling, how much a do the Lord had with thee, to bring thy heart under so much as it is; so to consider, that the Candle of the Lord must more and more search thy dark and deep heart, and 'tis to be thy daily work, or else all these evils will again much prevail upon thee.  
Love therefore a searching Word from the Servants of Christ that are over you.  
6. The next Discovery of the Gospel New-Creature is this; namely, The Gospel New-Creature hath new affections.  
Briefly to instance in some of the chief.  
1. The New-Creature hath new fear: The fear of an Eternal Condition, that first usually seizeth upon a convinced sinner; the fear of a just and angry God against sin; and, at last, upon its renewing, a holy awful fear of God, as great, and holy, and good; a fear of sinning against him, and that because he is gracious: Naturally this affection of fear in a Carnal heart, is conversant about the loss of outward things, about shame in the World, and the like: and so far as it respects God, his Soul, 'tis a slavish fear, of breaking out of some grosser sins only, lest God should damn him: but not fearing the Lord with a gracious Sonlike fear, a fear that purifies the Heart, a fear that is mixed with a blessed love of God, and delight in his ways.  
2. The Heart is exercised with new sorrow: A godly sorrowing for sin, such sins which were once the delight of the Heart; such a sorrowing, that works an indignation against the Darling-sins, a taking of a kind of Revenge of ourselves for it, a vehement desire after pleasing of God, and Holiness, 2 Cor. 7.11. There is a sorrowing over a crucified Christ, and a sorrowing after him: And well is a poor Soul, when it can go in secret, and have this affection most exercised, with sighs, and groans, and tears, and sad complaints against itself.  
3. There is a new joy by degrees instilled in the Soul, of which though there are various measures, to the Children of God, yet every New-Creature can go thus far, though not in that vigour of Spirit he would do, that (when the Spirit is free from great distemper) it can say, he hath some joy that he is delivered from the dominion and thraldom of lusts, that 'tis its joy to go before God; I will go unto God, my exceeding joy, Psal. 43.4. Even when under some disquietness of spirit; as verse 2. why dost thou cast me off?  
Yea, will a poor soul say, God and Communion with him, (could I see his face) would be my greatest joy. And the carnal joy of the heart, when it breaks forth, leaves the soul but more in heaviness, and the New-Creature would have his joy run spiritual.  
4. Upon this the New-Creature hath New delights; The word of God becomes his delight, seeking the face of God, and the people of God; Delight thyself in God Psal. 37. And his chief delight is in the Saints, Psal. 16.3. The heart cannot, as it could formerly, delight itself in folly, and in vanity, and in vain carnal ways and people, but is rather burdened with them.  
5. The Soul is raised and engaged in a new Love; The heart is taken with Jesus Christ above all things, and Loves Him most; and Loves God because he is Holy, Loves his word, and Loves those that Love him most; Every New-Creature can say, as David, I Love the Lord, Psal. 18.1. & 116.1. Yea the soul is brought to Love Jesus Christ for himself, He is the Beloved of the Soul, and not only the grace, and peace, and blessing, and heaven that he gives. And to Love Jesus Christ, and to express it to the utmost, is the frame of soul that a convert presseth most after, and he would get the heart more purged, mortified, spiritualised, that it might go forth in Love to Christ more strongly and sweetly, and enjoy the precious perfumes of his Love more constantly.  
6. The Soul is raised to a new hope; A new hope of Heaven and Glory, which before was feigned and deceitful; Now the soul is after a well bottomed, real, lively, hope of Heaven; Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope, etc. Oh! the new and blessed hopes that a soul doth more and more reach to, (when distemper and darkness is not upon it) of seeing Jesus Christ as he is, Living with Him for ever, of being perfectly sinless and holy, of joys that shall be endless, of being swallowed up with divine glory, when the spirit of the Father doth breathe most sweetly, and mostly raises the heart to glimpses of Heaven.  
Use. As we go along, we would put things to trial; therefore say, in good earnest, Soul, Hast thou had new fears upon thy Soul, as to an eternal condition? and is the fear of sin, and of the living God upon thy heart? and doth this fear keep thy heart owfull and watchful? say, Hast thou had new sorrows for sin, and 'tis thy trouble they are no more abundant? Canst thou joy in going to God, and in the word of his grace, and are spiritual things thy delight? Dost thou find a heart-closing Love to Jesus Christ above all, and canst thou Love God, because he is holly, and thou wouldst be like unto him; and hast thou new experienced of hopes Heaven?  
Say soul, Do all thy affections run in a new channel, and the stream of them, in the main, turned from world and vanity, to the Ocean of God in Christ, his fullness, goodness, love, grace, and glory? and that when thy affections, or any one of them are diverted, and turned aside, thou canst and dost go to God to have them fetched in again, and thou wouldst have all the affections of thy Soul run freely, clearly, spiritually, fully, strongly upon Jesus Christ? and thou art humbled, that they are carnal and worldly in any measure?  
If this be not thy case, but the affections of thy heart are wholly fleshly & worldly; thy fears, thy sorrows are about worldly things; thy joys, thy delights about carnal pleasures, and worldly increase, thy Love goeth after the world in an interrupted unmortified course, thy hopes going forth about great things for thyself, and thy hopes for Heaven, lie at all uncertainly, and thou dost suffer it to be so; verily, thou art unchanged, and hast no part as yet in New-Creature blessedness.  
Only let me add this Caution, that in this matter of the New-Creature, you take the whole frame together; And therefore do not rest only in this, that you have had your affections something stirred in hearing the Gospel, some fears, and sometimes the heart a little melted, and some joy, for a time in the world; which affections may sometime stir in a soul, whose heart is not subdued and changed, and so it wears off again, but carry yourselves back to what I have said, that you mainly look to the Rebellion, Pollution, Hypocrisy, Unbelief of the heart; that these be in good earnest, still a subduing in you.  
3. And so also for real Converts, though you should labour to preserve your affections, lively, savoury, yet look mostly to the sincerity and spirituality of them, or else when they wax faint again, (as that may be,) you be at a great loss of your consolation; neither do you always measure yourselves by the stirring and overflow of affections, but rather by the abasement of your spirits, hearts, purity, and sincerity, and the holiness of your affections, and your acting faith, in all your duties, which will procure a more lasting way of peace and Comfort; though when thus rectified, the going out of strong and tender affections is exceeding sweet and precious, and most desirable by all Saints.  
(7.) The next discovery of the New-Creature is this, (which I may consider with some distinction from the former); The Gospel New-Creature hath new thoughts.  
By the thoughts I understand the pondering, musing part of the mind, (that I may speak plainly to all,) The imaginations, fancies, purposes, meditating, muse, of the mind of man, which are very much altered, where there is a new and divine work and power in the Soul.  
To this the Prophet speaks, as to saving conversion, Esay 55.7. Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, etc. So that a Soul returning to the Lord, forsakes his vile thoughts, and doth not give way to them, and feed them as before. So, Jer.. 4.14. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? And Psal. 119.113. I hate vain thoughts, but thy Law do I love.  
To show a little, why the thoughts of the heart shall be changed, and then more particularly, how.  
In a natural heart, All the imaginations of it are evil continually, Gen. 5.6. They became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened, Rom. 1.21. Where the thoughts, as issues of the lusts, do rove to and fro at full liberty, without any effectual control.  
1. As first, Atheistical thoughts; secretly denying God, his Justice, Holiness, Word, or that God will not Judge sinners according to the rigour of his word; Thou thoughtest (saith God) I was altogether such a one as thyself, and, Psal. 50.21. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God, Psal. 14.1. For when he sins against him presumptuously, he doth strike at his very Being, Justice, and Holiness, and either saith in his heart, There is no God to Judge him, or secretly wisheth there were none.  
2. Profane thoughts, according to the most predominant lustings of the heart, do act a natural heart; As vain, unclean, proud, worldly thoughts, which are in contrivance to make provision for the lusts of it, the heart even continually exercised with unclean, proud, wrathful, revengeful, or covetous practices; therefore, saith the wisdom of God, Prov. 15.26. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord; Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, Adulteries, Murderers, Thefts, etc. Mat. 15.19. The evil thoughts get up and act over wickedness, and then they purpose and contrive for the acting of it, and set the whole man on work to make provision and to effect it; which thoughts being drawn forth by sinful objects, or the working of the fancy, and the devil working by both, do break forth into abominable practices, unless restrained by the Lord; for indeed the fancy, the imaginative faculty is the very forge of the devil, where he frames all the wickednesses, that is brought forth.  
Now these being the natural actings of the thoughts of the heart as unchanged, there must necessarily ensue a New working of thoughts upon the change of it.  
Only observe by the way, by this any sinner may know how it stands with his soul; If Atheistical, profane, unclean, worldly thoughts, carry the heart an end, and rove up and down at liberty, and the heart even delightfully feeds them, without going to God, and mourning over them, for their purging and mortifying, and no, or but an unwilling resistance of them; how dwelleth then the grace of God in thee? verily not at all; And therefore reflect upon thyself, for by this thou mayst know the state of thy heart, and thy lusts are yet in their strength, and rule in thee, and will post thee to Hell, if the Lord meet not with thee.  
A gracious heart hath bubbling up of such thoughts, and the devil casts in suggestions to set them a work, but they lodge not there long, but they are resisted and purged.  
Take therefore these notes of a carnal unchanged heart.  
1. Such a soul makes little or no conscience of thoughts, Thoughts are free, say wretched souls, but that's a proverb suggested by the Devil. (2.) Such a soul is not humbled, doth not mourn for wicked thoughts, but only looks to the outward man a little. (3.) Such a soul doth not bring them to the blood of Jesus Christ to be purged. (4.) He doth not conflict with them; resist, check, hate them. (5.) He doth not watch the thoughts of the heart, nor labour to set them upon holy objects; If it be thus with thee sinner, thy heart works wickedness, and thou art loathsome in the sight of the holy God, who knoweth and observeth all thy thoughts afar off, Psal. 139. I will one day reckon with thee for them; what dost thou but even deny God to be the great searcher of hearts, the Allseeing God, who carest not how vain, vile, wicked, unclean, profane, loathsome, devilish the thoughts of thy heart are?  
But wherein doth this news of thoughts show itself.  
1. The New-Creatures thoughts are changed, as to himself; who thought well of himself; as to Heaven and happiness before, but now seethe himself vile, and hath worse thoughts, of himself, than any one in the world can have of him.  
2. He hath new thoughts of God; New thoughts of his Holinsse, and Justice, and Greatness, & Glory; Oh! how great is God, how Holy, how Just! & so is greatly abased before him. He hath new thoughts of his goodness, grace, and love to poor Sinners, upon which the thoughts do much work, thoughts of admiration and praise; and the soul delights in holy and gracious muse of it.  
3. He hath New Thoughts of Jesus Christ, of his Person, Grace, Blood, Righteousness, Spirit, Word, People. Before he had poor, low, empty, carnal, unsavoury Thoughts of Christ: but the heart being changed, and the Mind enlightened by the Holy Ghost, the Thoughts work towards Jesus Christ, the Soul hath deep and serious thoughts of his grace and love, precious thoughts of him.  
4. He hath new thoughts of Eternity; of an Eternal condition which must possess the Heart, what may become of his Soul: What will it profit to gain the World, and lose his Soul? How he may treasure up for Heaven, make sure work for Heaven, what ever be his condition in this world: and the serious and frequent thoughts of this, do much poiz the Spirit of a Believer.  
5. He hath new thoughts of the ways of God, and Holiness, before he thought basely or notionally of them, now he hath real thoughts of Holiness, and of the ways of Jesus Christ, he doth believe, and finds a reality in them, and hath good thoughts of them, as to engage his Soul to them.  
6. He hath New Thoughts of Holy People, whom before he esteemed Hypocrites, and Pharisees, Factious, and the like; That their strictness was their Pride and Hypocrisy; but now he honoureth them most, is humbled greatly for such thoughts of them, and prizeth them as the Excellent of the Earth, and their company will be most desirable, and most delightful to him, Psal. 16.  
Use 1. To sinners, that you do go to God, and get your hearts possessed with such thoughts of God as these are: How great, how just, how holy he is! and this will make you tremble at going on in your pollutions any more. Bethink yourselves of the state of your souls, and of an eternal condition: saith David, I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies, Psal. 119.59. Bethink yourselves how short a time it is e'er an eternal condition shall pass upon you, and how long the blessed God hath waited to be gracious to you; and get new thoughts of Jesus Christ, and get to his feet, and make a resignment of yourselves to him; and then your thoughts will go after more excellent and soul-quieting, and soul delighting Objects, than hitherto you have been exercised with.  
2. To such as are new Creatures in Christ, and have New Thoughts of themselves, of God, his Justice, Holiness, greatness, graciousness, of Christ, of Eternity, of the ways and people of the Lord, let this be a word of Exhortation to you, to look to your Thoughts: saith the Wisdom of God, Prov. 23.7. As he thinketh in his heart, so is he. A Soul is before the Lord, according to the thoughts of his heart. Oh take heed of giving way to and feeding vain unclean, unholy Thoughts of any kind: and let me press it upon you with these Motives.  
1. Consider, that such thoughts are your sins, lay that to heart. God may justly damn a Soul for unholy Thoughts; Know thou mayst commit Adultery, or Murder in thy Heart, though it break not forth actually. If thou hast done foolishly, in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, Prov. 30.32. This will help to keep thy Heart in awe.  
2. That God's Eye is strictly and continually upon the Thoughts of thine Heart, Psal. 139.2. and therefore David cries out to God, to search his Heart for them. Oh did a gracious Soul still consider this, that the jealous Eye of God is upon every Thought and Motion of his Heart to sin, it would make him look closely to the Thoughts of his Heart.  
3. Consider, that evil Thoughts and Muse of sin are the beginning of all open wickedness, Jam. 1.15. Then when Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and such Thoughts are usually set on fire by the Devil.  
4. They do defile the soul, Mat. 15.20. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, etc. These are the things which defile a man: Which defilement unfits the soul for communion with God; they make a filthy puddle in the soul: and what a case is a poor Creature in, to come to God, in Duty, in such a pickle.  
5. Evil Thoughts do pervert the Heart from God, which should be fixed upon him; they draw away the strength of the Heart from God; they suck up the juice and marrow of the Heart, which should be spent in Spiritual things in Jesus Christ.  
6. Such Thoughts do grieve the Spirit: Nothing more; the Spirit cannot delight to teach and comfort, when the Heart is mostly acted by foolish and unholy Thoughts.  
7. When such Thoughts are acted in the Soul, God may leave you to the power of them, to break out to some grievous fall, and so may shipwreck your peace and comforts for a great while, and go with broken bones, and it may cost you much bitterness, before you are healed.  
8. If vain, carnal, Thoughts, are not resisted at first, but given way to, they are hardly checked, and subdued, and turned upon other Objects, and therefore to watch the first Rise of them.  
Now, not one of these Considerations, but may make a Child of God to tremble, how he lets forth his heart into vain, carnal, idle, defiling-thoughts, and muse, which do so much waste a gracious spirit, and lay him open to such woeful dangers as these are.  
To help a Child of God in this Spiritual Work, of looking to, and a holy ordering the Thoughts of his Heart;  
1. Be deeply humbled to God, with abhorring and loathing, for Atheistical, unclean, proud, vain, foolish, worldly thoughts, that crowd in upon you: when you make them your burden, you will be the sooner eased.  
2. Delight thyself much in the Word of God, not only in Public Hearing, but Daily Reading; and not only Reading, but getting some good word upon thy heart, that may season thy Thoughts and Affections: saith David, I hate vain thoughts, but thy Law do I love, Psal. 119.113. The love of the Word of God, made him be so far from cherishing vain Thoughts, that he did hate them. It doth appear, this was a special part of David's exercise of Spirit, to get some blessed Word upon his heart, and be thinking of it, and so it did tu n into the sweet and wholesome nourishment of the New-Creature: Oh how I love thy Law, it is my meditation all the day. Blessed and holy practice, worthy a gracious Saint indeed: you have one word specially, that David had much on his heart, out of the Books of Moses, (for we know not whether any other Scriptures were then extant) 'tis that of Exod. 34.6. where the Lord saith, he will proclaim his Name and Glory: The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, which you have in Psal. 103.8. Psal. 86.15. & 145.8. Happily one of those sweet words, which he often magnifies: how hath a single word dwelled upon the heart of a Child of God, and hath kept the heart savoury for Christ?  
3. The next Remedy against such Thoughts, is, Much Prayer; diligence, fervency, pouring out the heart to God, till the heart melts, and runs forth sweetly, spiritually, and is engaged with God, and hath a sight of him, and a divine impression of God's Majesty left upon the Soul.  
4. Get more and more brokenness of heart for sin; when the Heart hath been broken, 'twill not so easily get into Vanity again: At least, a Child of God should take care that it should not, when the Heart is broken and mourning, the Spirit doth wonderfully in that work refine the Heart: All the sleightness, vanity, defilement, distraction, that comes upon the New-Creature, is mostly for want of this.  
5. Mortification of that Corruption, that is most apt to stir, doth much cure our thoughts: Inordinate Affections are the Saints greatest Evils, and do bespeak an unmortified heart, as to what a Child of God should still be pressing after; even to be dead and crucified with Christ. Those that are Christ's have crucified their Affections and Lusts, Gal. 5.22.  
6. Contending for a Spiritual Heart. So far as the Heart is spiritual, it acts spiritually: 'Tis the carnality of Heart, that worksup all those frothy distempers that defile us. Paul's corruption was much let out upon him, when he cries out of the carnality of his Heart, Rom. 7. which should be the daily complaint of God's poor children.  
7. A great help to the preserving the Thoughts of the Heart, according to the New-Creature, will be to consider, How precious the thoughts of God are to his People, Psal. 139.17. How precious also are thy thoughts, O God, unto me? How great is the sum of them? If I should count them, they are more in number then the sand etc. David in v. 2. was considering how God's Eye was upon his Thoughts, and 'twas a means to rectify them: and then David's thoughts run forth in the sweet and blessed apprehension of the preciousness of God's thoughts to him, from all Eternity, and in the ways of his Covenant towards him: If God's thoughts to us be holy and precious, and ever towards us, the thoughts of his servants should be so also, and as little common and unsavoury as may be.  
More particularly, let us yet consider, what blessed, and excellent, and glorious things, such as are New-Creatures in Christ have, to exercise their thoughts about.  
1. Gracious Souls have the Attributes of God to exercise the thoughts of their Hearts in; the Infiniteness of God, his Greatness, Holiness, Glory, etc. A blessed Exercise for Saints indeed! So we find the Scripture-Saints sweetly taken up with contemplation and admiration of the Excellencies of God himself, Thou art glorious in Holiness, Exod. 15.11. saith Moses. But, Thou art Holy, saith David, Psal. 22. Oh how great is thy Goodness! Psal. 8.31. as might be abundantly showed; and the exercise of the thoughts this way, hath a powerful influence upon the Heart, as to its abasement, purity, sincerity.  
2. Saints have the riches and freeness of the grace of God, in Jesus Christ, towards poor sinners, to be taken up withal: Oh the free, rich, distinguishing grace of God to a poor Creature, that was posting to Hell, that was a Rebellious Wretch, a vile Hypocrite, the worst of sinners, the most unlikely to be converted of any sinner in the World. We have David and Paul's heart swallowed up in this above any other; as David in many Psalms, is in the admiration of grace; and Paul in most of his Epistles makes it his great scope, as the great Argument, to be not only believing, but humble, and holy, and heavenly, all their days: specially, Col. 1. and Ephes. 1st, 2d, and 3d Chapters.  
3. Saints have the unsearchable Riches of Jesus Christ, to take up their thoughts with, the Excellencies and Dignities of his Person, the Beauty and glory that is in him, the depths of his love, the matchless price of his blood, his bowels to sinners, his care of his Churches: Oh these are things worthy the thoughts of Saints indeed!  
4. They have to take up their thoughts, the glorious blessedness of the forgiveness of their sins: What a blessed state! a state of forgiveness in the blood of Jesus Christ, is! Blessed, oh blessed for ever, are they whose iniquities are forgiven. Bless the Lord, O my soul, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, etc. Psal. 103. God hath not appointed me to wrath, but to obtain salvation through my Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thess. 5. Oh blessed ecstasy, for a poor called pardoned Believer to be in!  
5. Such as are New Creatures in Christ, they have the Mystery of the New Covenant, the everlastingness of it, to bring their hearts to, and to work the Promises thereof upon their hearts, to muse on the returns of their Prayers, to behold the continual Providences of God towards them, and his ways of mercy and kindness to them.  
6. They have the shortness of their time, the vanity of their lives, the certainty of Death to muse on; Lord, make me to know the number of my days, that I may know how frail I am: Yea, they have a future and eternal state of blessedness and glory, to have their thoughts swallowed up into; That they shall one day see Jesus Christ, as he is, in all his glory, and never look off him any more: they shall do nothing else but love him, enjoy perpetual communion of Saints, be praising, admiring, adoring the blessed Majesty of God for ever and ever.  
Oh! If there are such excellent and blessed things, for the thoughts of the holy-ones of God, to be exercised in, oh! what bare Dunghill hearts have such, that poor upon nothing but earth and filth. Let it not be so, with such that have tasted the good and sweetness of those things, that have a real substanstiall soul-filling goodness in them; What matter of Complaint to God's poor Children, whose hearts are too too apt to sink earth-wards, poised with weights that they cannot keep them up in the vision of God, his Christ, and what ever is blessed in him; Oh! when the thoughts of your hearts must be taken up with your Callings, which cannot be done without it, keep a watch over them, let them not run forth to sinful distempers, but that you may be fit to go to God, and converse with him, and get the blessed savour of these things upon your hearts, and do not let out your thoughts to idleness, and soul-defiling vanity, and feed upon vanity, when there are such solid glorious things to feed upon, which you expect to be taken up with in, an infinite unwearied delight, to all eternity.  
And do not suffer the Devil to take up his abode, by his subtle and sudden suggestions, or more close insinuations upon you. If he make his inroads, resist, check, defy, with abhorrency, his first attempts, before he work up corruption in you; And remember still, your spirits and bodies are the Temples of God, and the Temple of God must be Holy, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. What? know ye not, that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost that is in you which ye have of God, and ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price, therefore Glorify God, with your spirits and bodies, which are Gods; And thus much of this special evidence of the New-Creature, in the newness of his thoughts, and the acting of them.  
8. The Eighth discovery of the New Creature, is this,  
The New-Creature hath a new lip, a new tongue, let lose to speak of God, and for God; And this also I shall a little insist upon; Saith our blessed Lord; A good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things, Mat. 12.35. Good, and wholesome, and savoury words; To this we find the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures often pressing; Saith the wise man, Prov. 20.15. The lips of the knowledge are a precious Jewel; The mouth of a righteous man is a well of Life; The lips of the righteous feed many, Prov. 10.11, 12. So the Apostle; Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of Edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers; Ephes. 4.29. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, etc. Col. 4.6. By which places 'tis evident that a special discovery of the New-Creature is herein manifested.  
1. The New-Creature hath a New-tongue, to speak Savourly, and Experimentally of the things of Christ, and the work of the spirit, Because that which the heart is exercised with, it will be bringing forth. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; An evil man out of the abundance of evil in his heart bringeth forth evil things, As a good man doth good things, Math. 12.25, 8. If the heart and affections be spiritually exercised, the Tongue will be speaking forth.  
2. Because thereby A New Created Soul, doth give glory to God; they speak of the Testimonies, works, goodness, grace, and the wonders of the Love of God to poor sinful Creatures; And hereby God is much glorified; Come and hear, all he that fear God, and I will tell what he hath done for my soul, Psal. 66.16.  
3. Gracious hearts, do hereby, stir up the grace of Christ in them; 'tis like the blowing of a spark, and makes the heart to glow ere it is ware; gracious Conference is the very breath of the Spirit, which kindles all our graces afresh; as it was with the Disciples going to Emaus, Luke 24.32. Did not our hearts burn within, while he talked with us by the way.  
4. Good Souls do not only profit themselves, in receiving good, but they profit others; one of the best ways that we do good, in profiting weak Saints or sinners; how hath a word spoken from a savoury person, humbly and wisely, dropped in upon the soul of a sinner, which hath been its first awakening. And so upon a poor weak tempted Child of God; how seasonably hath God ordered a word for a poor soul from conference with another?  
Use. If a New-Creature in Christ hath a new tongue, as well as a new heart, Then let it be for conviction of sinners, whose tongues as well as hearts, are exercised in vanity, altogether in profane, or vain, or carnal, or worldly discourses; This shows there is no good treasure in the heart; The Apostle James follows this conviction very closely, and makes it the Character of a carnal pretending Believer, of false and dead faith, Jam. 1.26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 'tis but a seeming to be religious, a vain Religion, where the tongue hath a carnal Liberty; And he calleth the Tongue, A world of iniquity, set on fire of Hell, James 3.6. an unruly evil, full of deadly poison; verse 8. The evils of the tongue that bespeak a sinner unregenerate, are these; and they are frequent among this generation.  
1. Speaking evil of the spirit of God, and ways of God, and people of God; Oh! such say they have the Spirit, that they be Holy, and they are so strict, that they will not do such and such things as others do; This is a degree of Blasphemy, and borders upon the brink of the unpardonable sin. These are styled by the Apostle, Revilers, 1 Cor. 5.11, & 6, 11. and they, as such, shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. The giving out of the Spirit upon plain meaning-people in the measure it now is, is a new thing, but not therefore to be despised and reviled.  
Every Town ad Family almost doth abound with this wickedness, and dreadful provocation, and 'tis the saddest sign upon the generality of people whatsoever; only, 'tis to be hoped, they do it through Ignorance, as Paul did, 1 Tim. 1.13. and God, as he hath done, may humble, and convert many of them, to the praise of his grace; only let sinners that have been frequently showed the desperate wickedness of such speeches, of scoffing at the spirit, and holiness, and call it Hypocrisy, tremble lest God give them up, when they sin against conviction, and the clear light of the word in this matter.  
Had I time to reason a little, in the power of the Lord, with such souls; why, Consider seriously, and in good earnest; Can you be so sottish, and so wilfully blinded, that have heard or read the Scriptures, to imagine that you are God's, and Christ's, and have not the Spirit, and are not made Holy, nor crying to God that you may be Holy? He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his, And without holiness you shall not see the Lord; How dare you then, in the Atheism and devilish wickedness of your hearts, scoff at the very Name of the Spirit and Holiness? The lowest place in Hell will be yours, that have been so often admonished of this, unless God smite you to the Earth for it; True Converts have the saddest humiliation for this sin, as they have been more or less guilty of it,  
2. Or you that are not so desperately carried forth, in this open ungodliness of speaking evil, of what you know not; But yet make little Conscience of lying, for your profit, or in excusing a matter, so you may do it covertly, and count it a venial small sin; or you, that when provoked swear profanely, and desperately, tearing the Name of the great and dreadful God, wreaking your anger and wrath upon the Name of God, and the blood of Christ; your Tongues are set on fire on Hell, and the Spirit of disobedience, the devil, worketh in you; not a drop of the grace of God in you.  
3. Or you who have your petty Oaths, by your Faith, by your Lady, and by Creatures; Or make mention of the Name of God, and Lord, in your Ordinary discourse, vainly, and as a byword, crying, Oh Lord, upon every slight occasion, and for Gods-sake, and Christ's sake, do this, and this, in poor trivial matters; verily there is noting of New-Creature upon you; And yet these great profanesses you call your infirmities, and 'tis your infirmity to swear when angry and provoked, and you say you forget yourselves, when you mention the Name of the Lord God slightly, or through ignorance plead for it, that you may do so; I tell you, souls, they are your reigning damning sins, who are frequent in them; And in carnal prayerless families, as most are, how oft in a day may these ungodly speeches be heard, by men, women, and children? If the fear of God were upon you, or any work of grace, you durst not do it, nor indeed, could do; Therefore do but observe yourselves a day, and see how often you are here guilty, and tremble before God, and go and humble yourselves at his feet, that you may find mercy, and have another heart and mouth given to you; Pray, and cry, and wait for the good treasure of the word of grace in your hearts, and 'twill be otherwise with you.  
4. Yea, you who are engaged in worldly discourses on the Sabbath day, in your families, at your doors, in the Streets; in idle and vain jesting; you are not of God, born again by his spirit, you take no delight in the word of God, the meditation of your heart is not in it, you speak little of it, because you savour it not; Tremble you worldlings, who show it this way, at that word, 1 John 4.5. They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them; If ye are of the world, you are not, as yet, of Jesus Christ, the power, love of this present World ruleth in you, and that may damn you for ever.  
Know, sinners, you that make little conscience of vain, profane words, (though you pretend to make some conscience of your word of promise to men, for your credit's sake, and so think you have grace; all which a Turk will do) that by your words you shall be judged; And of idle words you shall give an account at the day of judgement; and by thy words thou shalt be condemned, Math. 12.36, 37. Such words as we have opened, to be damning sins. And, therefore, do not put off this guilt far from you, in saying, 'tis your infirmity, and so make light of it: but know, 'tis guilt which will send you to Hell, if the Lord humble you not, and change you.  
'Tis a certain Rule; a profane heart, and a profane mouth; a carnal heart, a carnal tongue; a worldly heart, a worldly, (yea Sabbath-days) tongue: Therefore, you are not New Creatures, in the least; and therefore begin with the heart, that the heart may be smitten of God for this sin, and changed, and seasoned with the word and grace of Christ upon you; and it will be better with you, and you will have a tongue to speak well of the Spirit, and the things of God, and his People; and to speak for God, and reverently of his Name, and delight yourselves in it.  
2. Let this be a word to such as, through grace, are become New Creatures in Christ, that you would show it in this Discovery, in a new tongue, that you give not yourselves that liberty of vain, carnal, much less profane Discourse, as formerly; as indeed you will not, if you be New Creatures. Men's Converse doth either lie among such as are wholly carnal and worldly, or such as savour that which is good.  
As to the former; as in all our carriage, so specially in our words, there is great caution to be had.  
1. Not to mix ourselves with them unnecessarily, unless we find we have strength enough, through a dependency on the Lord, to avoid their snares, and do it with a purpose of heart, to do them good, by reproving, or counselling them. Many a good soul hath been sadly worsted, by mixing unnecessarily, with vain, profane, or frothy company.  
2. If Providence cast thee amongst them, sometimes it may be the wisdom of a Child of God to keep silence; as David, Psal. 39.1. I said I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle, when the Wicked is before me: I say it may be sometimes best for a Child of God to do so: there's a secret conviction goes forth, by the silence of a servant of God oftentimes, and to leave them as soon as we can; so it be not done scornfully, but humbly and civilly: I do not mean a total silence, but a wariness.  
When you are cast among carnal persons, as to your Callings, necessarily: Take heed of giving yourselves a full liberty, multiplying of words unnecessarily, but be reserved, and watchful; That by any thing you say, or indeed any other carriage, the person you converse with, be more hardened in his carnal course, or be offended more against the ways of godliness; which, indeed, a Child of God should most heedfully consider in all his ways: Oh 'tis a blessed and gracious design, rather to better, than worst, all we converse with.  
3. If you have a heart, (as you are to look up to God for a heart) to reprove what may be reprovable, (as often it may be your duty), or to commend the ways of God unto them, to render them acceptable and precious, and comfortable, or any good word of the Lord to mention to them, or of an eternal condition; let this be done.  
1. Seasonably: 'tis a great matter for a servant of God to speak fitly, to wind off another from a carnal Discourse into good things; to insinuate them discreetly: here is much wisdom, and 'tis to be asked of God.  
2. With Meekness: Not sharply, nor rashly, nor proudly, nor censoriously, but with a meek and gentle spirit,— showing all meekness to all men, 2 Titus 2. That they may perceive you do it, not to censure them, nor with vain ostentation, but that it proceeds from an honest heart, and unfeigned love to them: This is to be done, when we find men's spirits in the most serious capacity; and we having endeavoured to sweeten them, and to get some room and respect in their Affections.  
3. That it be done savourily, and feelingly, not slightly; that it may appear, what we give out to them, is upon our own hearts, and what we do really feel and enjoy, which carries much convincement with it.  
2. If Providence cast you among God's people, (as this indeed should be our choice,) 'tis not well to part from each other, without something of God, his Word, Grace, Goodness, Providence, People, their own Hearts, Temptations, Comforts, according to what is upon their Hearts, or what they conceive may be of best use to those we speak to, considering their condition, or temptations, or fall short, or in what, if stronger Christians, we may ourselves be helped and encouraged; And not to give way to indisposition, or temptation, or fear we shall speak as Hypocrites (which is sometimes a snare) but to have a ready mind, & cheerful delight to do it: Not but the people of God may, in due season, speak of their Callings, and of Affairs and Occurrences in the World; yea, and sometimes that which may beget cheerfulness, so we watch our hearts in it, and take heed of an uncomely inordinateness in it.  
But do you tremble at obscene words, wrathful words, to be suddenly provoked to speak passionately, at taunting jeering words, reproaching others, or censorious of others, vainglorious words: of which much might be spoken to every particular.  
3. As this may humble the people or God, for the sins of the Tongue, their vanity and unprofitableness; so let it stir them up, to look up for grace, suitable in this so weighty a matter; That our Lips may be as a Well of Life, and may savour of what is holy and good in God's sight: Some Directions yet, as to this Duty.  
1. Get in much good Treasure in the Heart: As our Saviour speaks, Mat. 12. The more good Treasure of the Word, of Grace, of Experiences, of sweetness, of comfort, the more ready we shall be to give forth, and also receive in from others.  
2. Do not follow your fancy, in speaking what it still dictates, but your judgement: Many good men too too much follow a working fancy, though there may be a sober cheerful Exercise of it in season; but we are too apt to run forth to excess: The Devil will kindle Squibs upon the Fancy, which we must rather quench, then feed and bring forth.  
3. Keep some good thing upon the Heart: Some good word you daily take in, as was directed as to your Thoughts, some comfortable Experience of God, the sense of what you received in an Ordinance, that you may discourse of the Word last heard, Psal. 45.1. My heart is enditing of a good matter, my Tongue is the Pen of a ready Writer: Oh blessed! when 'tis so with gracious Souls: I muse on the works of thy hands, Psal. 143.5. My meditation of God shall be sweet, Psal. 104.  
4. Pray a good frame of heart, and keep it so: Pray till the heart be made tender, savoury, quickened, enlarged, with the sense of God's Majesty, Holiness, and Goodness upon your Spirits, and then watch to keep them so; a savoury Heart, and a savoury Mouth.  
5. Be not provoked by the vain and frothy Language of others, though they may be good men, to comply with it: We are too apt to take encouragement to that which may be evil, because 'tis the liberty another good man takes, which is often a snare.  
6. Keep the fear of the Lord upon thy Heart, a holy awe of God and his presence, one of the choicest Duties of a Saint, specially in this matter. The fear of God makes the Spirit serious, and yet mixed with comfort and a comely cheerfulness, Psal. 4.4. Stand in awe of God, and sin not.  
I might also lay down Motives to this choice Duty: It doth much please and delight the Spirit of God; it brings in much good to the soul; Gracious conference is an Ordinance of God, and blest to the quickening, establishing, succouring, and refreshing the hearts of Saints. Accustom yourselves to it, and you will find indispositions wear off, and you will do it out of a ready mind, and gracious delight: Only, be not only a Talker, from Notions in the Head, nor affect a disputing wrangling Knowledge, (usually the effect of Pride) but do it from Heart-experience in some measure; or what you would fain get more upon your Hearts: And let it not be only a talking-knowledge, but an humble walking-knowledge.  
Remember, to thy continual abasement, how many sinners thou hast helped Hellward, by thy lewd, vain, profane speeches, by thy reviling at the Lords ways and people, and how thou hast encouraged and hardened them this way, in sin. Oh now let thy work be, through infinite grace, to tell sinners, that there is more good infinitely in Jesus Christ, then in the way of folly. Now draw as many as thou mayest, according to thy measure of grace, to Jesus Christ, and Heaven-ward.  
And thus much be spoken of this Discovery of the New-Creature, in its showing itself in a new Lip.  
9 The 9th Discovery of the New-Creature.  
Such as are New-Creatures in Christ, they will have New-Company. As soon as a soul is new forming up in Christ, he saith, as David, Depart from me ye evil doers, for I will keep the Commandments of my God, Psa. 119.115. Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping, Psal. 6.8. I am a Companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy Precepts, Psal. 119.63. So the primitive Saints, as soon as converted, they become Companions of the reproached Ones of the Lord, and took joyfully the spoiling of their goods with them, Heb. 10.34. And so Moses, chose affliction with the people of God, before Riches and Honour with the profane, Heb. 11.26.  
Now this real Converts do:  
1. Because wicked and carnal men will act and speak wickedly against God, and his ways and people; which a heart broken, and made tender, cannot endure to hear and observe: David said, it was like a sword in his bones, Psal. 42.10. when wicked men reproached the Lord and his servants.  
2. Converts are in great danger to be tempted to sin, as Joseph in Pharaohs house, by the company of wicked and carnal persons; the Devil will lay snares, specially for weak souls: it will be hard for weak souls to pass without guilt, by mixing with them.  
3. Saints will contract deadness and indisposition, by their company, it causeth old Lusts to stir, and other sins of heart to be working. The carnal part will be too ready for compliance with them; how hard to come off from them, not worsted?  
5. Such as are New-Creatures in Christ, have quite different spirits from wicked and carnal men, different principles, different ends, and therefore they must needs avoid them, and cannot take satisfaction and contentment with them, unless under great temptation.  
Use 1. To sinners unconverted, who take pleasure in your carnal merry company, but are burdened with the company of godly, and you secretly disdain them, and the Devil suggests to you, that they are Hypocrites; know this, and be assured of it, and your Consciences must acknowledge it, that ye are yet in your sins, and haters of holiness, and you love not the appearance of it; Certainly, you are none of these New-Creatures, and you cannot know yourselves by a better Character, then by the company you most delight in. You do not make choice of your most intimate company by their godliness, but from worldly ends, or mirth or good-fellowship, as you style it, or generosity, or some such carnal end: verily, the grace of God is not in you, and your condition is damnable.  
2. As ever you would find mercy, look up to the Lord to turn your hearts to himself, and then to those that fear him: Break off from your vain-company, who engage your hearts to vanity: What saith the Wisdom of God, A Companion of Fools shall be destroyed, Prov. 13. No such fools (how witty, or prudent, or civil soever otherwise) as carnal souls, that delight in vanity; Oh! harken to the instruction, of the wise, and your soul shall live; I confess this is the hardest pluck in conversion, but yet it must be done, with a vigorous resolution, through grace; when once the bands are broken, and you come to find, as you will, abundant more sweetness in the Lords ways, verily you shall never repent your so doing.  
And such as have some desires towards goodness, and have some better thoughts than you have had formerly of good people, you will make little progress in grace and peace and comfort to your own souls, till you do this; till you can abhor yourselves for your vanity and profaneness among carnal men, and can with full purpose of heart cleave to the Lord, and overcome fear or shame, or what ever such cursed evils that are in your way, and all your rocks of offence, you will make little of it as to evidence any sound work in your hearts, and peace with God by Jesus Christ; one day's accompanying with carnal men will set you more backward, in the matter of godliness, than many days after will help on.  
3. Let such as would evidence the New-Creature, be very watchful in this matter, and not to touch pitch lest they be defiled; mix not yourselves unnecessarily, as hath been exhorted in the last head, among carnal men, unless you have a good and holy end in it; so as Jesus Christ did, going among great sinners to do them good, which indeed bespeaks a great strength of grace, and a Christ-like spirit, and Saints should be much with God for it.  
And among yourselves; that Saints do still better and not worst one another's Spirits, when they come together: the more you are with Saints, the more you love them, and delight in them; Have a compassionate healing spirit to one another's infirmities, and be not offended but look upon, and love the appearance of God in each other; And remember that receiving and doing of good, is your great business, till you come to Heaven.  
Yea, let all that have a new work upon them diligently find out the Company of Saints, such as are visibly joined to the Lord, and to each other, to enjoy ordinances holily, and to help one another heaven-ward; Woe to him that is alone, saith the wisdom of God; Let not gracious souls content themselves in pollutions of worship, and without the company of the godly; such do decay, whither, make a poor shift to hold out in their profession, grow worldly, or are overtaken with the errors of the times; as for the most part they are the solitary professors who are drawn aside from Gospel-truth, and not such, (as it hath been unduly charged) who are in the fellowship of the Gospel, for that end and purpose, to help, strengthen, pray for, watch over each other.  
10. Such as are New-Creatures in Christ, they have, (if I may so speak) new feet, namely, to walk with God in a new conversation; The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way, Psal. 37.23. I have (saith David) refrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep thy word.  
This New walk of a Saint, of a New-Creature, is a large field; that I may hint the most material things of it.  
1. A New-Creature doth more and more set himself to walk with God; (1.) As under the eye of God, considering that the jealous eye of the Lord is still upon him; Thou compassest my path, and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways, Psal. 133.3. (2.) To keep Communion with God; to be conversing with God, speaking with God, and unto God, and waiting to hear God speak unto him; (3.) To walk in Jesus Christ. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, Col. 2.6. which is, to walk in the Life of Christ, in the Light of Christ, in the Strength of Christ, in the Love of Christ, in the wisdom and patience of Christ; and so in all; This 'tis to have fellowship with Jesus Christ, and to walk in him; to do all in Christ, and through Christ, is the main work of the New-Creature, as 'twas hinted in discovering the necessity of the New-Creature's being in Christ. (4.) The Walk of the New-Creature is to walk in the Spirit; Gal. 5.25, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. There's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, Rom. 8.11. To walk in the Spirit, is, (1.) Not to fulfil the Lusts of the flesh, Gal, 5.16. Not to be under the power of them, or to make provision for them; not to feed them, but to crucify them; They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts; Gal. 5.24. which is put as an evidence of walking after the Spirit; (2.) 'tis to be led by the Spirit, Gal. 5.18. to give up our selves to the leadings and teachings of the Spirit, Psal. 143.10. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God, thy spirit is good; lead me into the Land of uprightness; is the cry of every true Convert in Christ; who would not be led by his own spirit in any thing, nor by other men's spirits, but waits for the Leading of the spirit in every work, and way, wherein he would walk before God.  
5. The New-Creature walks after the revealed will of God; And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them, Gal. 5.16. speaking of the New-Creature who walks after a rule; Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord, Psal. 119.1. He sets himself to walk in all the precepts of God, and esteemeth them all holy and righteous.  
6. The New-Creature walks in his integrity; let integrity and uprightness preserve me, Psal. 25.21. As for me, I will walk in mine integrity, Psal. 26.11.— And as for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever, Psal. 41.12. This is the gracious resolution of every Convert to walk in his inregrity, through which God will preserve and uphold him in all his ways, and when the world reproacheth him, God will set him before his face, and that, for ever.  
6. The New-Creature, so far as he is a New-Creature, walks humbly. This is that the Lord doth require of thee, to walk humbly with thy God, Micah. 6.8. To walk humbly before the Lord, towards sinners, and towards Saints; The soul that walks most with God, walks most humbly towards men.  
7. The New-Creature walks in love: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, Ephes. 5.2. In love to all Saints, as Saints; a special part of the Gospel-walk: Not in love to such or such a party of Saints, which is but self-love, but in love to all that walk with God.  
8. More Particulars might I mention, as walking honestly towards all men, not oppressing, defrauding, but righteously, charitably, compassionately: so far, I say, as he is a New-Creature, he walks thus: Only let me add this, That the New-Creature walks by Faith, 2 Cor. 5.7. and not by sight. He is ever learning a life of dependency, lives upon the All-sufficiency of God, the Righteousness of Christ, the fullness of his Grace, the Word of his Promise; and so lives out of himself, upon the fullness of God in Christ, and his truth in his Promise, even when he feels not his presence. And herein, briefly, consists the Life of Faith, to live out of ourselves, upon Another, even the Fullness of an infinite God, manifested in Jesus Christ.  
In a word, The New-Creature in Christ, as he is called of God, through infinite Freegrace: so is he to walk in all things, Worthy of his Vocation, Ephes. 4.1. To walk worthy of the Lord, even to walk as Jesus Christ himself walked, 1 Joh. 2.6. To walk in this present world, how he might express the virtues of Christ, the grace and love of Jesus Christ so freely revealed to him, to walk self-denyingly, holily, patiently, harmlessly, profitably, heavenly, as one that is called from Darkness to Light, from the power of Satan to God, called out of the World, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Thess. 2.14.  
Use 1. If his be the Walk of the New-Creature, than such who walk not as in the Eye of God, but after the Atheism of their Hearts; consider not, that God sees them in their most hidden ways, that walk after their Lusts to fulfil them; that walk not in the Spirit; that mind not Holiness, so they keep a kind of Conscience to men: Verily, the Spirit of God dwelleth not in you, you have no Evidence for Heaven as yet; you are of the World, and you walk after the course of the World, Ephes. 2.2. You walk Hellward, and are held by the Cords of your Lusts, and your Paths lead unto destruction. And therefore turn in to Jesus Christ, whose Paths are Wisdom and Safety, and lead in the Way of Life, and Peace, and Blessedness, even all that choose them, and delight in them.  
2. Let such as have the New-Creature form in them, approve themselves to God, to Saints, and to the World, in this their New-Walk: Oh see! you are called to walk with God; and therefore be, as in his Eyes, continually: make Communion with him, your chiefest joy. Walk in Jesus Christ, in his Life, Light, Power, Love, Wisdom, and fetch your daily supplies from him: Walk in the Spirit, after the Spirit, as much as may be; and see that you keep close to Rule, to the revealed Will of God, and not to Delusions. Be able to appeal to God; Judge me, oh God, according to mine integrity, Psal. 26.1. that you may have this peace and comfort in all your ways; Thou upholdest me, oh Lord, in mine integrity. And see you walk humbly before GOD and Men, and in love to all that profess love to Christ; and they do, in some measure, really express it, and carry it justly, and compassionately towards all men.  
Learn above all, the Experience of the Life of Faith: live not in, or upon what you have received; but live out of it, upon the Fullness of the Lord, as if you had received nothing. Oh ply the Throne of Grace, that you may be filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and to walk in this present World, as near, as may be, after the Holiness, Patience, Meekness, Wisdom, and Love of Jesus Christ, which he shown towards all men, having your Hearts and Conversations in Heaven, where your Treasure is.  
11. The New-Creature doth in all things labour its own perfection, and is therefore still in conflicting with, destroying, crucifying, purging out the old Creature, the old man, all of the Old Adam; till it sits down in Victory, in a full perfection of Holiness and Glory, which it shall have, (and not till then) at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Ephes. 4.22.— That ye put off concerning the former Conversation, the Old Man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful Lusts, and be renewed, etc. Knowing this, that our Old Man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, Rom. 6.6.  
This is the main Work of the New-Creature, where it is really form in Christ, to destroy and purge out the Defilements and Dregs of the Old Man, of Sin, Self, Corruption, that it may be as a new Lump; as a Vessel made meet for the Lord's use, as form up, set apart, anointed, sanctified for God, and his Use, here, and for ever, AMEN.  
To the Blessed God Alone, be all the Glory.   
FINIS.   

A Catalogue of some Books, Printed for, and sold by Edward Brewster, at the Crane in Paul's Churchyard.  

1 DR.. William's Right-way to the best Religion; wherein at large is explained, the principal Heads of the Gospel, in Fol.  
2 Dr. Jermin on the Proverbs, Fol.  
3 Mr. Stock upon Malachy, Fol.  
4 Mr. Elton on the 7th, 8th, 9th, Romans, Fol.  
5 Mr. Hildersham on the 4th of John, Fol.  
6 Mr. Edward Leigh's Annotations on Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Eccles. and Cant. Fol.  
7 The Largest Church-Bible, Fol.  
8 Consilia, Decreta, Leges, Constitutiones in re Eccles. Orbis Britannnici, opera & Study Henrici Spelman, Eq. Aur. Fol.  
9 Briggs Trigonometria Brittannica, Fol.  
10 Mr. Birckbeck his Protestant's Evidence, taken out of good Records: Showing, that for 1500 years, next after Christ, divers worthy Guides of God's Church, have in sundry weighty Points of Religion, taught as the Church of England now doth: A most learned and judicious Work. Fol.  
11 Johnson's History of Birds and Fishes, Fol.  
12 Mr. Bentham's Christian Conflict, Quarto,  
13 Mr. Calamy's Sermons, quarto.  
14 Mr. Cawdrey his Inconsistency of the Independent way, with Scripture and itself, quar.  
15 His Answer to G. Firmin about Baptism, quar.  
16 Canaan's Calamity; or, The Destruction of Jerusalem, quar.  
17 Mr. Cook of Infant's Baptism, quar.  
18 Mr. Dod on the Commandments, quar.  
19 Mr. Elton on the Commandments, and Lords Prayer, quar.  
20 Mr. Collier's Treatise of the Sabbath, and against free admission to the Sacrament, quar.  
21 A Collection of several Sermons, preached before the Parliament, quar.  
22 The English Presbyterian, and Independent, reconciled, quar.  
23 Several Sermons of Mr. Paul Bayn, quar.  
24 Mr. Negus of Faith and Obedience, quar.  
25 Mr. Newcomens Sermons, preached before the Parliament, quar.  
26 Mr. Jenkins his Sermons, quar.  
27— Against John Goodwin, in two Books, quar.  
28 Galeni Opuscula varia Annot. D. Gulstoni, Gr. Lat. quar.  
29 Spelmani Psalterium Saxonicum, quar.  
30 Mr. Geer against Bishops, quar.  
31— Against the Anabaptists, etc. quar.  
32 Mr. Randal on the 8th of Romans, quar.  
33— On the Church, quar.  
34 A short History of the Anabaptists of Germany, quar.  
35 Mr. Rutherford of Church-government, and Excommunication, Quarto.  
36 Dr. Potter on the Number 666. quar.  
37 Mr. Stalham against Universal Redemption, quar.  
38— Against the Anabaptists, quar.  
39— Against the Quakers, quar.  
40 Dr. Slater on Malachy, quar.  
41— On the 4th of Romans, quar.  
42 Mr. Udal on the Lamentations, quar:  
43 The Vindication of the Presbyterian Government and Ministry, quar.  
44 Mr. Whitaker's Sermons, quar.  
45 Mr. Wheatly's New-Birth, quar.  
46 Motives to a good life, in Ten Sermons; By Barton Holiday, D.D. quar.  
47 Mr. Abbot against Brownists, Octavo.  
48 Ball's Catechism, Octau.  
49 Doctrine of the Bible, Octau.  
50 Masterson's Arithmetic. Octau.  
51 Baker's Arithmetic, Octau.  
52 Wingat's Logarithms, Octau.   

School-Books.  

53 Danesii Grammat. Lat. Quarto.  
54 Herodianis Historiae, Gr. Lat. Octau.  
55 Dux Grammaticas, Duodecimo.  
56 Helvicus Colloques, Duodecimo.  
57 Brinsley 's Translation of Corderius, in Eng. Octau.  
58— His Puerilis Confab. Eng. Octau.  
59 Farnaby on Marshal's Epig. Octau.  
60— On Ovid Metamorph. Octau.  
61— On Juvenal, Octau.  
62— Epigrammata Selecta, Gr. Lat. Octau.  
63 Geers Troposchematologia, Octau.